Kamil Krofta
Kamil Krofta | |
---|---|
Kamil Krofta in 1936 | |
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia | |
In office 29 February 1936 – 4 October 1938 | |
Prime Minister | Milan Hodža |
Preceded by | Milan Hodža |
Succeeded by | František Chvalkovský |
Personal details | |
Born | Plzeň, Austria-Hungary | 17 July 1876
Died | 16 August 1945 Vráž, Czechoslovakia | (aged 69)
Nationality | Czech |
Occupation | Diplomat |
Kamil Krofta (17 July 1876 – 16 August 1945) was a Czech historian and diplomat.[1]
Life and career
Born and schooled in Plzeň, he studied history in Prague starting in 1894, then from 1896 to 1899 in Vienna. From 1901 he worked at the National Archives. Beginning in 1911, he was a professor of Austrian (and later, Czech) history at Charles University, following the Jaroslav Goll school of thought. In his research, he focused on the late medieval and early Czech history, especially that of the peasantry as well as the church. He was prominent member of the Masonic Lodge Národ located in Prague, which was one of the founding lodges of the National Czechoslovak Grand Lodge in 1923.[2]
In 1920, he became the first Czechoslovak envoy to The Vatican and was instrumental in the mutual recognition of both states. From 1922 until 1925, he resided as envoy in Vienna and lectured at the Comenius University in Bratislava. From 1925 to 1927 he was the Czechoslovak envoy in Berlin. After returning to Prague, he headed the Presidium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Krofta was a key foreign policy advisor to Edvard Beneš who headed the Ministry until he became President of Czechoslovakia in 1935. Krofta served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 29 February 1936 until 4 October 1938.[3] He succeeded Milan Hodža.[4]
Krofta became an active participant in the resistance during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II through the National Revolution Preparatory Assembly (Přípravný národní Revoluční výbor). In 1944, was he arrested and initially held at Pankrác Prison. He was later moved to the Small Fortress in Terezín and remained incarcerated until the camp was liberated in May 1945. He died in Prague a few months later as a result of the abuse and neglect during imprisonment. He was awarded Order of Saint Sava.[5]
Selected publications
- Kurie a církevní správa zemí českých v době předhusitské
- Řím a Čechy před hnutím husitským
- Historia Fratrum a Rozmlouvání starého Čecha s mladým rytířem
- Listy z náboženských dějin českých
- Bílá hora
- Přehled dějin selského stavu v Čechách a na Moravě
- Čtení o ústavních dějinách slovenských
- Čechové a Slováci před svým státním sjednocením
- Žižka a husitská revoluce
- Z dob naší první republiky
- Nesmrtelný národ
- Malé dějiny československé
References
- ^ Honajzer George (1995). Vznik a rozpad vládních koalic v Československu v letech 1918-1938. [Establishment and dissolution of government coalitions in Czechoslovakia in the years 1918-1938.] Prague: Orbis.
- ^ Vaindl, Ladislav (25 October 2022). "K zednářům v Plzni patřili loutkář Josef Skupa i vynálezce František Křižík". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ Staff report (May 29, 1936). Krofta Upholds League. New York Times
- ^ Vadnay, Emil (October 5, 1938). SLOVAKS' DEMANDS SHAKE UP CABINET; Czechs Give More Posts to Settle Differences With National Group TWO GENERALS ARE ADDED Shift Is Expected to Help in Effecting an Accord With Germany Slovak Minister Quits Slovak Legion in Vienna. New York Times
- ^ Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 648.
External links
- Kamil Krofta via Open Library
- Newspaper clippings about Kamil Krofta in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
- 1876 births
- 1945 deaths
- Writers from Plzeň
- People from the Kingdom of Bohemia
- Politicians from Plzeň
- Foreign ministers of Czechoslovakia
- Government ministers of Czechoslovakia
- Ambassadors of Czechoslovakia to Germany
- Recipients of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
- Ambassadors of Czechoslovakia to Austria
- Ambassadors of Czechoslovakia to the Holy See
- Recipients of the Order of St. Sava
- Czech resistance members
- Czech Freemasons
- Czechoslovak civilians killed in World War II
- Resistance members who died in Nazi concentration camps
- Charles University alumni