AuthorMartin Hladík

“We have all been fighting for a spot at the top since we started”

Petra Plemlová, Owner and founder of unuodesign s.r.o.

The story of a young, successful businesswoman in the field of e-commerce with children’s clothing. Petra is a four-time mother whose story is full of many genres. Even though many people would like to see a fairy tale with a happy ending, some moments were more like a dark Scandinavian thriller. Despite a not-too-happy childhood and constant underestimation on the part of her two older and more successful siblings, Petra graduated as a kindergarten teacher. Working with children fulfilled her purpose, and it was here that she became aware of how much time and energy she spent on dressing and undressing children, as she continuously encountered uncomfortable and impractical children’s clothing. From a young age, she spent a lot of time with her neighbor, a well-trained dressmaker from the period of the First Republic. It was only a matter of time before this hobby became Petra’s main occupation.

She gradually began to make her first products, initially only for friends and for her own children. Clothing easy enough that children can dress themselves. When the front and back of the clothes are the same, it doesn’t matter if they mix up the sides. Clothing without zippers and buttons. Clothing that grows with the children, so there is no need to order a new size every three months. She had to begin running her business full time after her husband nearly destroyed their entire apartment when he fell ill with a mental disorder. Her stock of already prepared sewing materials was also destroyed.

Petra remained alone with her four small children and was under constant scrutiny from the unhelpful social workers, who were more anti-social than social. Over a three-year period, she built a company that now attains a turnover of 50 million Czech crowns, employs more than 50 people and, within the scope of the Unuo endowment fund, provides help to women who have found themselves in a situation similar to her own. However, this conversation is not about the past, but rather the future. How does a successful businesswoman perceive the region of South Bohemia in which she conducts her business? What does the future hold for her industry, with regard to materials and e-commerce? And is this extremely active woman even able to relax?

Petra, the Australian Open has just recently ended. While many people were happy to see clothing made from recycled materials and produced by Adidas, you instead lamented on social media that unuodesign has already been using recycled “soft shell” material for a long time. It is more expensive, but for a good reason. Furthermore, your “growing” clothing has a usable lifespan of more than three months. How do you cope with the fact that large companies receive much more attention than smaller companies, despite the smaller companies being much more progressive?

I think that every company gets as much attention as it deserves. We have all been fighting for a spot at the top since we started. Especially if we started in a large industry, such as the one represented by the textile industry. We can deserve the attention if we get through great work performance, by making something original or by doing things differently. At unuo, we decided to use all three of these approaches that I just mentioned. I am glad that we are doing very well in the field of PR connected with organic or recycled materials.

You started doing business in Tábor and you’re doing well. In today’s economic environment, where the labor supply is limited, you are succeeding in taking on new workers, especially female workers. What’s your opinion on the specifics of doing business in the region of South Bohemia?

I can’t speak about the entire region, but personally I am excited about the city as well as the people who live in Tábor. Everything is different in Prague. The employees in this small city are not used to changing their profession or the company they work for, especially several times a year. Luckily, we avoid this fluctuation and any frequent position changes. I feel that the inhabitants of smaller cities care more about their good name. They are aware that if they end up getting a bad name at a few companies, the word will very soon spread. The people here are more “loyal” to their field. You could say that their lives are more motivated by relationships than by money.

We personally met at a panel discussion organized by the Elegantní Česko company, because both of us are proud of the traditions of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Custom sewing is one of those traditions on which one can establish oneself. You yourself were, however, sceptical about the future of the textile industry in Europe.

Our statistics confirm the reality that our customers feel positively toward production in the Czech Republic. It is even part of the positive decision-making criteria when choosing to buy Czech or foreign. Unfortunately, it is ranked third, right after the criteria of price and quality. From my experience, I’m speaking especially about the textile industry of manufactured clothing. If Czech customers buy clothing for their children at stores with prices lower than five euros, it is only a matter of time before the textile industry in the Czech Republic disappears altogether. It is interesting to note that many goods from third-world countries are subject to special duties so that imports of these products into the Czech Republic do not endanger certain industries. And then there is, for instance, agriculture which is subsidized by the state. No one is offering a helping hand to the textile industry, and that raises the question of how long the textile industry will last. Not just with regard to clothing production, but also textile production, the schools that supplied new dressmakers or weavers to companies have disappeared in the Czech Republic. Schools intentionally do not open these fields, because there is no interest on the part of the students. Students are not interested because the bright future of a seamstress who works a three-shift schedule and barely makes the minimum wage is not something anyone would want to have. And now we arrive back to the customer. The employer cannot pay his employees more if mothers buy clothes in stores at prices that are less than what we as suppliers have to pay for the material.

E-commerce business deals with new technologies. Other than clothing and materials, you offer a digital solution for the automation of warehouse processes that help other e-shops. This approach has won twice in the Czech Entrepreneurship Awards contest. Which direction would you like to go in the future? What is your dream?

Although my previous forecast may have been pessimistic, I hope that even ten years from now, unuo.cz and unuodesign.cz will be able to produce beautiful fabrics and children’s clothing. As for our application, PICKI, I hope that it will become a great helper, not only for our company, but for others as well. But naturally, I still see this application as an infant that will need a lot of care before it is self- sufficient and financially independent.

I won’t ask how you handle and multitask all your different roles. I know that this question, which is often asked of working mothers, will not seem quite fair to you. Instead, I will ask you about your great dedication to your work. Do you even know how to relax? How do you recharge your battery?

I am lucky because my job is my dream come true. Thanks to this, I no longer feel the need to relax that much.Whatyoulovehasthetendencytorecharge you a lot more than it exhausts you. I often relax at my sewing machine, which is actually my “job”. I love technology and read a lot about it, so I’m actually discovering what the new developer will introduce to us and when. Actually, that is also my “job”. I play a lot with the kids and go outside with them, which is a small part of my “job” as well. Only by observing my own children and other children can I see what our little clients and their mothers need.

We are doing this interview in January 2019. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? And what would you like to wish the readers of Czech and Slovak Leaders?

I have one big goal in 2019, and that is to spend more time with my children. Not to be at home more, I’m there very often, but to be present with my children, enjoy their beautiful smiles and their love, which is so pure that it cannot be compared with anything else. My online children were born so I can support my real children. Now, when they´re successfully carrying out their mission, beautifully and on their own, I can focus my attention on the place where it is most needed. I extend this wish to the readers as well, and not only for 2019!

By Linda Štucbartová

“NAFIGATE will become a world-renowned cosmetics brand”

Ondřej Mynář, CEO, Nafigate Cosmetics

In October 2018, the Czech company Nafigate Cosmetics launched a new cosmetic product that does not use microplastics. This product has secured world primacy for Czechs in access to cosmetics. The new peeling shower milk with the natural polymer P3HB is based on a unique development by Czech scientists. There is a picture of a sea turtle on the product packaging, reminding the consumer of the serious problem of microplastics in water. As we deal with innovations in business regularly in Czech Leaders, I happily accepted the invitation to lunch from Ondřej Mynář, CEO of Nafigate Cosmetics. A work lunch has never passed so quickly. I admired how young and successful Ondřej is, while remaining modest and humble in spite of his success. He started as a summer worker in the company, slowly working his way up to the CEO chair and fully taking over the management from his mother, Lenka Mynářová. Ondřej Mynář faces the future with optimism. He has travelled nearly the whole world, but decided to continue doing business in the Czech Republic. He speaks of Czech scientists with enthusiasm, as he does of his dreams. Personally, I am glad that this special issue dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia can feature him, a representative of the new young generation of leaders who are picking up the industrial tradition of the First Republic while having global experience and ambitions.

Ondřej, what was the path from academic research into nanofibres to a cosmetic product that is unique in the world?

The research started in Nafigate Corporation and focused on development of nanofibre applications for water and air filtering and on the application of nanofibres in biotechnologies. As part of its activities, Nafigate Corporation worked on developing nanofibres designed for skin use. Examining the transfer of active substances using nanofibres was one part of the medical research that appeared very promising. It showed that nanofibres can in fact actively bind pus from acne, for example. Eventually, a team of about 15 scientists decided to make a bold innovative leap: shift the research into cosmetics. Medical research is both money- and time-consuming in terms of approval and regulatory procedures, and it takes decades; we have to be able to respond within weeks. And it was based on this nanofibre research for cosmetics that Nafigate Cosmetics was established in 2015.

The story of Nafigate Corporation and Nafigate Cosmetics can be used as an example of combining primary and applied research. At the start, however, your key product failed rather than succeeded, which goes to confirm the well-known fact that initial failure is common in start-ups and means nothing.

Research into nanofibres and their effectiveness was indeed the foundation for Nafigate Cosmetics. Nafigate Cosmetics started as a spin-off project with the product AcneInvisible. Building a company on a single product was in itself not the best idea. AcneInvisible didn’t do well as a product. It cost us a lot of money and energy, but on the other hand we learnt a lot from it. We removed the product as such from the market after a year and a half, because it fell short of our high expectations. During the product modifications, however, we confirmed the effectiveness of nanofibres in cosmetics, customers began asking for more products, and eventually they demanded a whole product range. So we gradually developed Nano-Eye Lift, used for immediate wrinkle reduction.
A study verified by the National Institute of Public Health proves a reduction in wrinkles of up to 75% after a 30-minute application. At the same time, the nanofibres open up pores, enabling penetration of more active substances into the skin. Gradually, we’ve marketed creams, serums and other products, as is common with other cosmetics companies. The total number of our products has grown to 36 in three years. We have not only thousands of customers but also more than 350 partner parlours, where customers can test out our entire product range. We thus offer not only products focused on wrinkle reduction and hydration, but also a cream with active substances containing hyaluronic acid. We continue to market not only new products in the form of cosmetics but also technological innovations that make our products unique.

Your career story somehow reminds me of the American dream. You joined Nafigate Corporation as a summer worker and then you worked your way up to marketing manager and marketing director. At Nafigate Cosmetics, you’re the company co- owner, chairman of the board of directors and you manage the whole company.

Yes, I started by preparing documents and presentations. Communication in Nafigate Corporation ran at a scientific level, proceeded at professional trade fairs and focused on development. After establishing the cosmetics company, I was the only one with the basics of communication marketing, and I was able to communicate over social media and adjust communication to the end customer. Suddenly I started dealing with very different issues relating to legislation and base products. After three years, I can say in all conscience that we have everything working smoothly and the team’s well on its way! We employ 15 people and our turnover target for this year is over 8 million.

Let’s now look at your brand new product, which you launched in October and is unique in the world of cosmetics.

It’s a shower gel based on a biopolymer that’s never been used in cosmetics so far. This means our product doesn’t contain microplastics, which are microparticles that enter water and severely contribute to upsetting of the ecosystem, because microplastics take centuries to break down in the environment. The Hydal technology again originates from Nafigate Corporation. By the way, the Hydal technology won first place in this year’s competition Innovations for Sustainable Development. It’s a new technology, the only one in the world that can process industrially and reuse spent deep-frying oil and turn it into a brand new, high-value raw material, a PHB-type biopolymer. It’s used either as a raw material for bioplastic production, or as a naturally decomposing microplastic. Nafigate Cosmetics has been successful in grasping the ideas of excellent Czech scientists and linking them to the end market. I’m glad to bring to the market innovations coming from Czech scientists, who can do world-class science at a fraction of the cost. That said, the transfer of innovations from laboratories to the end market is very complicated.

It looks like you’ve found the Holy Grail of linking primary and applied research. Even big corporations have a hard time finding an answer to that. For you, it’s the customer who’s at the fore, not science as such.

There’s an underlying united effort of all those involved. We all strive for the best product for the customer. We face numerous challenges, legislation being the first one. If you’re a pioneer in something, for example in using biopolymers in cosmetics, you have to design special testing, because no-one’s ever done this procedure before you. The readiness of the whole team for action is shown when the first non-standard procedure comes. I’m really proud of the composition of the teams in both companies, Nafigate Corporation and Nafigate Cosmetics. Nafigate Corporation pays great attention to talent management; resolving the problem of not using microparticles involved an array of absolutely brilliant postgraduates, supported by more experienced corporate employees. The other team, at Nafigate Cosmetics, then literally dived into resolving the legislative issues connected with marketing the product. The point is that the customer demands all the standard properties in a product; innovation is secondary only to that. To give an example: when you use a shower gel, you have to get a pleasant feeling from using it, a gentle touch, foaming ability, and so on; the innovation really comes second in this case. The product’s properties have to be identical, to which we add a second value, namely an environmental approach, since the product is fully degradable in water. We have one stage in the product development cycle that not many companies have. None of our products will reach the market until we have favourable comments from customers. We use a network of cosmetics parlours for this, in which we regularly test our products. We pay great attention to feedback from our customers, and adjust our formulations based on it. Frequently we do this repeatedly. On the other hand, we’re very fast and capable of responding within weeks or several months. Sometimes we don’t market the product at all, because we know we wouldn’t be able to keep our promises and corporate values. We make our products without parabens, and if we use perfumes, then only natural ones.

Another frequently debated issue is successorship. You took over from your mother, but originally she wanted you to do sociological research. What’s it like working with your mum?

You know, sometimes it’s hard to have your mum at work. On the other hand, I realise many of my achievements are only thanks to her. She allowed me to travel, organise trade fairs in China, and try dealing with important business partners. As for business, each of us is different. I’d describe my mother as an energy hurricane. She handed the company over to me completely, as I don’t think having multiple leaders is viable. I was well prepared for successorship; I’d worked hard for it. All the employees knew me, as I’d hired some of them myself. The fact that I’d helped build the company and had an expert understanding of the issues helped me a lot. I often see cases where someone from the outside arrives to manage a company. Personally I don’t think it’s appropriate; you have to know the company from the inside. It’s also easier to gain people’s confidence if they’ve known you as a hard-working person with a vision for moving the company forward.

What is your vision?

To build a world-renowned cosmetics brand based on technological innovations. To use the magnificent potential of Czech scientists in the Czech Republic, which is a great country for doing business. I’ve travelled all over the Czech Republic. At present, we have facilities or collaborating institutions in Ostrava, Hradec Králové, Liberec and Prague. What we are lacking is better PR, and I’m glad to be able to contribute with my vision for a company that has the potential to change the world.

By Linda Štucbartová

(This interview is a loose continuation of the series on innovations. We recommend the previous interviews about nanotechnologies with Jiří Kůs and about circular economy with Soňa Jonášová. The interviews are available on- line at www.czechleaders.cz/interviews)

“I welcome any substantive discussion”

Alena Schillerová, Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic

How and with what feelings did you celebrate the 28 October 1918 anniversary?

The hundredth anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding which we celebrated this year inspired me to remember those who helped the newly emerging state to attain its place in the heart of Europe. Our predecessors weren’t just involved in the formation of our independent state, but also helped ensure that Czechoslovakia was recognized as an island of democracy within Central Europe. Although we certainly shouldn’t disregard the darker periods of our history either, because as Winston Churchill once said: “A nation that forgets its past has no future.”

This interview is for readers of Leaders magazine. How do you perceive leadership, what kind of leader are you, and do we have enough leaders today?

I think good leaders are drivers who believe in themselves, in their people and in what they’re doing. They can choose the right people and give them the space to show what they have within themselves. They can motivate their team and give it positive energy and inspiration. I have tried to adhere to these principles the whole of my career. And even in my professional life, I’ve had the opportunity to encounter loads of people who exactly meet these characteristics.

Forbes magazine has described you as the third most influential woman in the Czech Republic. Congratulations on behalf of the Czech and Slovak Leaders editorial board. How do you perceive this award?

It’s a great honour for me, and also proof that our work at the Finance Ministry is noticed and appreciated. At the same time, I consider the award a great commitment, and I take it with the same humility that my colleagues and I feel in working for the citizens of this country. We still see many things here we want to improve.

You are the first female Finance Minister. How do you perceive the debate about equal representation for women in top positions in the Czech Republic? Can you say what the new perspective you have brought to this role is?

Being a woman in charge of a department might seem like an advantage, because as women we have a somewhat different method of communication than men. But I’ve never tried to deliberately exploit this. Over my whole life, I’ve endeavoured to ensure that it is my abilities and my work which speak for me. I hold the position that if you do your work well, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman.

Let me yet avail of your expert perspective – how do you see the gender pay gap problem, which is the second highest within the EU here in the Czech Republic?

According to Eurostat, on average women here earn 22 % less than men, which seems really appalling. There are many reasons for this difference. It is almost exclusively women here who take parental leave, putting their career on hold for a number of years during which time men reach higher positions. These differences are less clear in the over-55 age category however. Also, more women work in education and health, fields where people earn less in general than in fields where more men work – e.g., in construction. But I certainly don’t want to downplay the problem. On the contrary. By law, employers must follow an equal treatment principle in rewarding their employees, but unfortunately this principle is still quite often breached. Women’s lower earnings are reflected in the size of their pensions – women receive pensions of around a fifth less than men and, as such, are more frequently at risk of poverty.

As Finance Minister, you are mainly linked to the introduction of electronic sales records. The Finance Minister isn’t exactly popular right now, nor is the electronic sales records concept. What is it like in general to enforce unpopular measures?

I don’t think electronic sales records are unpopular. On the contrary, sociological research suggests it is consistently supported by around two-thirds of Czechs. But of course, I regularly meet many people with different opinions to me on many matters. And that’s okay. I relish my work, and thus I welcome any substantive discussion and I don’t object to reasonable suggestions. From time to time I also encounter criticism which I consider unfair and full of misrepresentations, but I certainly won’t let it frustrate me. That’s why I also think my mission is about clearly and matter-of-factly explaining the what, why and how of what we’re doing.

I know you’ve given lectures in the past. Do you still find time for them?

I currently lecture at various specialist seminars or at meetings with entrepreneurs. In the past I was an external lecturer at the Faculty of Law’s Department of Financial Law and Economics at Masaryk University in Brno, but now my busy schedule means I just don’t have the time. But I’m always happy to return to academia, and I will certainly be happy if the opportunity again arises in future to lecture to students.

As a member of the Brno University of Technology’s Scientific Board, I’d like to ask you how you’re managing to link science and the practical world.

As Finance Minister, I think it is important we are able to give more money to this field. In the draft state budget for next year, we have boosted expenditure on higher education by 2 billion crowns, and education overall has also seen significant improvement – by 29.6 billion crowns. Besides that, we are also increasing expenditure on science and research by 1.5 billion crowns to a total of 36 billion crowns. And as a former member of the Faculty of Business and Management Scientific Board at the Brno University of Technology, I can confirm that when I held that position it was very common for students to acquire practical knowledge during their master’s studies. The faculty’s doctoral studies and science and research activities have continued to develop, and I believe that co-operation with the practical world and the business sector is today expanding. I trust that other economic and technical faculties are doing similarly well.

What would your advice be if you were mentoring yourself twenty years ago?

To be honest, I wouldn’t give my younger self any specific advice. I’ve made progress in small steps over my career, and I truly appreciate what I have finally managed to achieve. Now I’m Finance Minister, and that didn’t just come out of thin air. It’s the outcome of the decisions I made at crucial forks in my previous life. And it’s also because I’ve managed to overcome various challenges. Building a career is a life-long path during which one acquires the necessary experience and learns from one’s mistakes. Looking back, there’s nothing I would change.

By Linda Štucbartová

“We Tell Stories”

Michal Lukeš, Director of the National Museum in Prague

At the age of 26, Michal Lukeš was the youngest director of a national cultural institution in Europe, and after over 15 years in the position he is one of the longest-serving museum directors. Under his management, the National Museum has repaired most of its dilapidated buildings, such as the National Monument at Vítkov, the Czech Museum of Music and the Ethnographic Museum. He pushed through the renovation of the National Museum building on Wenceslas Square and secured funding for it, and acquired the former Federal Assembly building for the National Museum. He has managed to repair the National Museum building in an incredibly short time – just 42 months – and open it for celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia on 28 October 2018.

What feelings did you have as an individual – as a husband, as a father to two daughters – when celebrating the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia, coincidentally also the first day of standard operations after the official re-opening of the National Museum?

I did not have much time to celebrate for myself during the 100th anniversary celebrations since I had a lot of work and official duties. My wife and daughters symbolically baked me some gingerbread with icing in the colours of our national flag. I try to educate my children about history, and ever since they were small I have brought them up in a traditional spirit and with love for our country. My feelings on 28 October were celebratory, and I’m glad our celebrations went well and people commemorated the 100th anniversary of our Republic spontaneously and on their own initiatives. I’m glad we have the good fortune to live in a prosperous, safe and, above all, democratic republic.

Do you remember the first time you visited the National Museum? How do you attract your youngest generation of visitors? What about the oldest? And what would you suggest foreigners visit?

Probably like everyone else I remember the whale skeleton and loads of animals. We attract the youngest generation with a whole range of special programmes for schools and families, and all our exhibitions have kids’ and educational features. We try to make the museum intelligible and fun for them. We attract adults through unique experiences and exhibits which they won’t find anywhere else. I’d invite everyone to visit our New Building to see our Celts exhibition, or our fascinating Noah’s Ark zoological exhibition. In our Historical Building, besides our renovated interiors you can admire the 200 rarest exhibits of our museum at our 2x100exhibition.Buttherearealsofascinating exhibitions at the Czech Museum of Music and the Náprstek Museum. Anyone who wants to learn more about modern Czech history should visit the National Monument at Vítkov, where they can combine a museum visit with admiring a fantastic view over Prague from the roof of the monument.

You’re well known for often using your sense of humour in your role. Were there any times during the renovation when you lost your sense of humour?

I haven’t yet lost my sense of humour, not even during the renovation, and even in the most serious of moments I have always tried to encourage colleagues with humour. Although I am a fan of black humour, so I don’t know whether I’ve always succeeded 🙂

You ́ve had the honour of being first in two areas – at the age of 26 you were the youngest director of a large national cultural institution in Europe, and now after over 15 years in your position you are one of the longest-serving museum directors. In terms of leadership, what stage is the most difficult?

I can’t say what stage was most difficult. When I took on the role at a very young age, I had the task of shaking up and modernising a somewhat dusty institution. And we did a pretty good job. We managed to push on with loads of innovative projects and investments, both in museum infrastructure and buildings. The museum is growing dynamically, but running these projects requires a lot more management work and responsibilities. Each stage of my leadership here has had its pros and cons, but together I think they form one of the most coherent and positive stages in the history of the institution.

What museums in Europe / in the world do you like visiting? What museums could be a model for the National Museum?

We visit, find inspiration in, and above all co- operate with, a wide range of worldwide institutions such as the British Museum, the Natural History museums in New York and London, the Smithsonian Institute in the USA, the National Museum of Scotland, and also museums in smaller countries such as the Estonian National Museum. Polish museums are very inspiring, such as the Warsaw Rising Museum. Naturally, our closest partner museum is the Slovak National Museum. But it’s not about which specific museums can be a model for us; we endeavour to find inspiration from the best of them, while also learning from errors others have made.

I had the opportunity to visit the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem in October, and this is at the absolute cutting edge in terms of using modern technologies, appealing to visitors, working with stories, emotions and literally drawing visitors into the story. On the other hand the museum has no real exhibits or collections. Probably little will remain of our generation except in the digital world. How do you see the future of museums and collections?

The job of a museum is to look after the cultural heritage of our ancestors, document our era and preserve as objective an image of it as possible for the future. Museums’ collections and original objects will always remain at the core of their purpose. Naturally, in today’s modern era we store a lot more digital information besides objects. In our exhibitions, we don’t just showcase individual objects, but rather aim to tell stories. Our exhibitions also include multimedia technologies, both to expand the information they provide, and for fun and to interest visitors. Methods of presentation have changed, but the meaning of museums has remained the same for centuries, and I think it will continue to do so.

I’d also like to ask about the much-debated Pantheon of leading Czech figures. I feel a lack of women there. Which women would you like to see there?

You’re right; there aren’t many women in the Pantheon. But the Pantheon represents the intellectual and social legacy of the 19th century. It’s not about which women I would like to see there. The Pantheon is essentially a kind of museum document showing how our ancestors saw the world.

What future career/personal challenges have you got in store?

I definitely want to build a complete new National Museum exhibition. We’ve managed to repair the beautiful Historical Building, and open a number of exhibitions within it, but it is the museum’s permanent exhibitions which give it its spirit. That is currently my greatest challenge.

By Linda Štucbartová

“The fate of Czechoslovakia on the background of personal stories 1918, 1938, 1948, 1968 and beyond”

Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer and Judi Challiner, a teacher, a writer and a storyteller

The most powerful stories are written by life itself. In order to commemorate the 100 years of the state of Czechoslovakia coming into existence, I decided to dedicate this article not merely to important historical events but to link it to the fates of individuals. As I have not lived through much of the period, I asked Judi Challiner, my dear friend and mentor, to co- write the article. It also serves as the sequel to “My Life as Defined by Two Quotes”, published last year which received many positive reactions as well as requests for Part 2.

Linda: “We concluded our interview one year ago about you applying for Czech citizenship. Let me quickly summarize your story. Your father was a Czechoslovak citizen, and a medical doctor at the clinic of Baťa Shoe Factory in Zlín, before his escape to England in 1938. There he served as a medical doctor in the Czech Airforce and fought alongside the British. Your grandmother together with twenty-five members of your family could not escape and were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. What are the recent updates not only with regards to your request for Czech citizenship, but also your journey to discover more about your Czech roots?

Judi: On February 8, 2017 I remember walking with you, as my (friend) Power of Attorney, to the Prague 1 municipal office. That began a long and a complex journey until I was finally granted Czech Citizenship on October 17 last year! Since then, quite a few British citizens have done the same, in protest against Brexit and to remain EU citizens.

I often say that 8 is my lucky number. Look at the date of the beginning of this process! The address where I was granted Czech citizenship is the Office of Prague 1, Vodičkova 18. Also, the digits of October 17 add up to 8. This was a very happy turning point in my life! Receiving the official papers, I listened to Mrs. Stanislava Sábová, an incredibly helpful and professional Czech official, summarizing the documents of the Zlín archive about my father’s family and my grandmother’s desperate attempts to remain a Czech citizen in 1938. There was even a mention of me, as a three-year old girl, being granted permission to take the journey back to Great Britain with my English mother in spring 1948. A flood of emotions swamped me. What would my grandmother and father have thought of me re-claiming the very citizenship they were forced to renounce? Flying back to Manchester with my proud husband , I thought of my easy life compared with my grandmother and father. For them, 1938 and 1948 completely changed their identities, their belonging to their beloved Czechoslovakia. They became in the words of our Prime Minister, Theresa May ‘Citizens of Nowhere.’ The consequences for them both in those two years were brutal.

Judi: It was Madeleine Albright who said: “Years ending in 8 are of outsize importance in Czech history.” As we are celebrating the centenary of the first Czechoslovak Republic this year, what can you tell me about Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk? I remember from our conversations that thanks to your grandmother, you have many special memories.

Linda: I remember very well my grandmother Rose recalling Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the “little” father of the nation (tatíček), as he was nicknamed. My grandmother was 11 years old when Czechoslovakia declared independence and the spirit of the First Czechoslovak Republic very much determined her values and memories. The same is true for me with the Velvet Revolution. I was only 13, yet it has influenced my life profoundly. But back to my grandma Rose. She taught me about Masaryk and the First Czechoslovak Republic. She always remembered the three principles on which the First Czechoslovak Republic was built. The first one was that daily work, however small and mundane it might seem, if done continuously, can achieve great results overtime. The second part was the high ideals on which the republic was built. The third part was patriotism, not as destructive nationalism as we experience it today but as an attachment and commitment to one’s country; throughout her life my grandmother reminded me to be a proud daughter of a small country that has given so many leading personalities in all spheres to the world.

Linda: I must mention that the fact we can talk about this history without any ideology and any repercussions still means a lot to me. More than ever before, we should recognize how democracy and freedom of speech is precious and should be protected.

I remember quite vividly grandma proudly showing me Masaryk’s Encyclopedia mentioning my relatives and acknowledging them for their patriotic and economic achievements. By the way, did you know that this Encyclopedia was the second largest encyclopedic volume after Encyclopedia Britannica to be published in 1930’s? I think this illustrates the degree of development of the Czechoslovak society at that time and the values put on education, history and learning. Listening to my grandmother and her accounts was so interesting and so very different from what I learned in school. It was in the early 1980s, before the Gorbachev era, shortly after the martial law had been declared in Poland, a period of a fierce “normalization in the Soviet Bloc”. Naturally, I could not wait to share it with my classmates at school and with my civic and history class teacher. After I bragged about my family history not only to my classmates but to my teacher, who happened to be a zealous communist, my parents were summoned to school. My grandmother was forbidden to share anything with me, my true historical upbringing had to wait until the regime change in 1989.

Linda: The first Czechoslovak Republic was only allowed to prosper for 20 years. The next date to mention is 1938, the year when the so called Second Czechoslovak Republic came to existence. This year also marked the first wave of Czechoslovak immigration abroad in 20th century, which consequently led to the loss of élites, the fact that still can be felt in the Czech society one century later.

Judi: 1938 marked the end of my relatives’ existence as well–liked, respected citizens in Karlovy Vary. My father was working as a young doctor in Zlín, so he was not around when the Nazis marched into his home town and ordered my grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and her young son to get out of the family home. They tried to get registered in Semily but ended up in an over-crowded flat in Prague. My grandmother only thought of the safety of her sons and insisted they leave Czechoslovakia. As for her, she had to look after her mother who was in her 80s and thought nothing would happen to them – they were too old. How many people of a certain age thought that, only to be brutally deceived and murdered? Her life ended in the gas chambers in Auschwitz.

Linda: Your father and your uncle, serving in the Royal Air Force, survived. It took almost 60 years to build a memorial for them. How does visiting the memorial feel?

Judi: When I first came to the memorial of the Winged Lion, it did not take me long to spot the two precious names among 2,500 inscriptions on the bronze tiles listing all the Czech and English personnel who fought for freedom in World War II.

POSNER | Erich Alfred | F/O | 311 | Medical Officer

POSNER | Jan | W/O | 311 | Pilot

There, immortalized forever, were my father and his brother. I wonder what they would have thought of me, bursting with pride, looking at their memorial. Yet I was filled with a huge sadness too. Two decades ago, in 1997, I had stood in the Pinkas Synagogue on the other side of the Vltava river staring at a wall with tens of thousands of names. At eye level I had found my grandmother’s last official record POSNEROVA ANNA 24 X1 1877 18 X11 1943.

In a bizarre way, I, Judi Challiner, born Posner, have paid tribute to them all and carry my Czech citizenship with even more pride because of them.

Linda: “Much as we celebrate the centenary of the Czechoslovak Republic, we should also remember 80 years that marked the event that I remember being lauded in the communist textbooks as a Victorious February of Working Class. In fact, after the nationalization of the property, the communists took away the prestigious pharmacy located at Pohořelec Prague Castle Area from my grandparents. My grandfather, a successful pharmacist and an entrepreneur, never recovered from this loss. Your father, on the other hand, had to escape his fatherland for the second time. It was the second wave of immigration that the country suffered.”

Judi: I completely understand this sense of loss. 70 years ago, my father made his second escape from Czechoslovakia. Again, he was working as a doctor in Bata’s hospital in Zlín but this time he was married and had a three-year old daughter – me! The grim discovery of what had happened to his mother and family haunted him for the rest of his life. Before escaping in 1948, he had returned to the family home Rossini in Karlovy Vary and managed to ship furniture and family possessions which had been hidden in the cellar to England. In England, he became an eminent consultant of chest diseases in Stoke on Trent. He was part of the “Lidice Must Live Working Party” with Sir Barnet Stross, set up a fund for Czechoslovak students at Keele University in 1968, wrote many papers including studies of Johann Gregor Mendel’s work in Brno. Yet unlike many similar Czech naturalized British citizens, he always, always yearned for his beloved Czechoslovakia and like your grandfather never really recovered from the loss of his mother, his home, his country and his life there.

The communists in 1948, built a dossier of lies about him and his family, which I discovered when applying for my Czech citizenship. They recorded that his mother, and father went to Australia to escape the Holocaust. His date of escape from Czechoslovakia was completely wrong and he was branded as a criminal, even worse, a Jewish criminal. Leaving in 1948 meant that he escaped the infamous Slánský’s trials and almost certain execution.

Linda: “Let us talk about 1968, as we celebrated 50 years since the Prague Spring and your first visit to Czechoslovakia that you remember. You visited Prague once by yourself in April and later with your father, mother and sister in August 1968, just before the Russians invaded again.”

Judi: I returned to Prague in the euphoric days of the Prague Spring. I made contact with my father’s old friends, doctors he had worked with and journalists who had helped him in the dark days of 1948. Wonderful people who were delighted to entertain me with trips to castles, theatres, wine cellars, restaurants, etc. However, all these treats were eclipsed by one afternoon of coffee and cake at Kampa, with none other than Jan Werich. He and my father’s student group were all part of the theatrical milieu in Prague. During the 1960s Jan Werich regularly visited London and whenever he was in town my father would meet him. Going to his flat on beautiful Kampa to have coffee and cake is still etched in my memory. He appeared from his study, wham! Layer upon layer of funny, sad, satirical anecdotes meant the coffee went cold, the very dry sacher-torte was left untouched. Werichova Vila opened in June 2017 for all to enjoy and on Oct 7, my birthday, I went to pay my respects! The goosebumps began when I climbed the stone stairs to the floor which had been his flat. Sitting at his desk looking at photos, I could hear his voice, his laugh, I could see his expressions. I remembered a quote of his that I had written down years ago, “One woman often sees more than five men with binoculars.” I don’t know whether I saw more than those binoculared men, but the pictures which I had in my mind from that visit in 1968 were countless!

After 1968, the pictures stayed in my mind until a short visit in 1997 when I made a promise to the Pinkas Synagogue’s inscription of my grandmother’s name to return more permanently. In 2004, I came back to live and work and move back and forth between Manchester and Prague. 14 years later I am still dividing my time between the two cities.

Linda: Both, you and the country you are now a citizen of, have in common the pattern of events which happened in years ending in 8. So how has your 2018 been so far?

Judi: 2018, has been an extraordinary year for me. At the beginning of January, I wrote to the Jewish Museum in Karlovy Vary to find out more about my Posner family. In a matter of days, I had the address of the house, Rossini on Bulharská 17, photos of my grandfather’s tombstone with the commemoration of his wife underneath and an invitation to go and see the curator Lukáš Svoboda to find out more. In March, my husband secretly booked a hotel two blocks down from Rossini, the hotel manager arranged that we could cross the threshold and go inside my father’s family home and we spent three amazing, educational hours at the Jewish Museum. After that whirlwind, kaleidoscope of events I know this is where my Czech roots are and a bit of me belongs. Later, at the end of June, we had a family party at the Karlovy Vary Film festival. This time my sister, her daughter and I, represented three generations of Posner women, who are proud to be descendants of this great family.

In September, I went with my power of attorney to collect my Czech passport and ID. In October, I finished the book which I am co-writing with you, my friend. The title of my story is ‘Grandmothers are forever’. Although I never met her, Anna Posnerova has led me on a lifelong, pathos filled yet exhilarating journey. When I crossed the threshold of Rossini on March 11, 2018, I walked on the same tiles, held the same wrought iron banisters and looked through the same windows that she did. Then
I knew that years ending in 8 are truly magic.

Whatever happens with the populist lies of the Brexit debacle, I know one thing. I am a citizen of somewhere, where Václav Havel’s eternal quote is still my favorite message for us all. “Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred.”

By Linda Štucbartová

“The most important thing in politics is to keep learning”

Ivan Bartoš, Chairman of the Czech Pirate Party and the Deputy Representative in the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Ivan Bartoš is the Chairman of the Czech Pirate Party and the Deputy Representative in the Parliament of the Czech Republic where he chairs the Committee for Public Sector and Regional Development. He has been a member of the Pirate Party since its foundation in 2009. Even though people believe Mr. Bartoš had studied mathematics and informatics, in fact he studied psychology and information science at Husite Theological Faculty, and he ended up with a PhD degree from the information studies and librarianship from Charles University, which is a combination of information, society and systems on the social level. His working experience ranges from public institutions to NGOs and large multinational corporations. Ivan Bartoš has had a long-lasting interest in social topics and quality of life even prior to entering the politics. When Ivan Bartoš had more spare time, he enjoyed being a DJ, playing accordion and singing in a band, but these days he is too busy. He is married to Lydia Franka, also a member of the Pirate party.

Ivan Bartoš says that the Pirate party is the only truly democratic political platform that reflects the reality of the 21st century. „Technologies we have at our disposal can help us and make our lives easier to a great extent. However, we should avoid that they become a tool for a digital totalitarian régime“. Understandably, freedom and mutual respect are the values most important to him.

I was lucky to meet Ivan Bartoš not only at a time when the Parliament was in session but also during the times of interpellations. Our interview was interrupted and, on a screen, I could watch Mr. Bartoš interpellating Prime Minister Babiš regarding the non-transparent ownership of Agrofert and the possible consequences with regards to the EU sanctions. The atmosphere in the Pirate party club in the Parliament was relaxed and less formal on one hand yet buzzing with activity on the other. No wonder. After 10 years on the political scene, the Pirate party has many reasons to celebrate. Thanks to their results in the last municipal elections in September, they have become key players for many coalitions in various towns and cities, including Mr. Zdeněk Hřib who later that day was announced as the future Mayor of Prague.

Mr. Bartoš considers himself a true European. Given his age and experience, he is one of the few top-ranking Czech politicians who speaks English fluently. I am proud that you, the readers of the Czech and Slovak Magazine, can enjoy this interview in the original version, not the translation. Enjoy this unique opportunity, reading an interview with a leading Czech politician in English!

Mr. Bartoš, it has been 10 years, since the Pirate party was established and 10 years, since you entered the politics. Congratulations! Were you aware of the anniversary?

We started the Pirate party as a rather spontaneous action and I was not the founder. We were not aware of the consequences, however we believed in fast success. If you do something that you believe in, you hope for fast victory, not a long-distance run. Thanks to Facebook reminders, and it is necessary to mention that Facebook has existed longer than our party, we are reminded how much the party has grown. We still manage to keep the joy in doing politics, one thing that differentiates us from the other parties. The party itself is changing, a younger generation of people is coming and joining the party, which means that they are 18 years younger than me. I must admit, that little by little, I seem to less understand them and their way of living. Imagine, they were born and grew up in an era of having the internet in every household, since childhood they are used to the cellphones. The founder of the World Pirate Party Movement himself, Rick Falkvinge, predicted the generational change and appealed to us to “let them do their work” whenever we find out we do not understand the latest issues and trends. Overall, I must say that I feel very proud and thankful to all the people who have helped us. If I compare us to a product, we have become a very good product, an easy one to market as well. We are not the ones to spend hundreds of million crowns on a campaign just to keep the results from the previous elections. We are the most cost- efficient party with regard to campaigns.

From your personal anniversary to the anniversary of 100 years of Czechoslovakia. What are your thoughts – nostalgia, hope or something else?

I must admit that I am not having any other or different thoughts about the way I think about society in general just because of this special day. We do have many interesting personalities, in terms of politicians or scientists, but the heritage of the nation is embedded in the every-day work of the ordinary people. My social media status for this occasion deals with the issue of bravery. Many people talk about this trait but in fact bravery depends on the options people have. People in the Czech Republic have their own problems like everywhere in the world. For someone, bravery might be demonstrated just by getting up, going to work, raising their children. I am happy that thanks to my family and my education, I am equipped to try to change things. However, I would like to stress one thing. The anniversary is not only for the Czechs and Slovaks, but we should also mention all foreigners who either live here or abroad but have made a considerable impact on society.

Based on the results of the fall elections, the year 2018 for the Pirates will not be remembered as the symbol of centenary, but as a substantial victory in regional and municipal elections, that brought the Pirates to the position of the Mayor of Prague.

Again, I have to point that we started from zero. We had no major funding from large corporations. Each election is, to some extent special. The proof of how wide-spread our concept is in how the party grows and functions“. We currently have 22 women and men representatives in Parliament. The most important thing in politics is to keep learning. You can make mistakes, but you need to learn from them and build on the knowledge consecutively. I am known as a sci-fi and a Star Trek fan, so now a very useful story comes to my mind. An intelligent star is approaching the earth; a star which calls itself VGer and which is looking for its creator. The Americans treat it as a threat and make contact with the artificial intelligence only to discover that it is a probe that NASA sent into space many years ago in order to investigate space and acquire knowledge. There was space dust on the probe and once it had learnt so much that it was able to look at itself, it saw the name VGer – the original inscription for Voyager. With the aim to improve its ability to learn. Sometimes, I feel like Pirates are a satellite thrown to the politics that learns and tries to improve with each mistake. In general, I can say that politicians lose the ability to do so, once they enter the politics; they usually accept the status quo and the rules of how politics is done, and they do not dare to challenge it. The more we are trying to improve the system, the more we need to be better educated, as we are not an artificial intelligence, but we are intelligent people who like to learn. I believe this is the foundation for our growth and our good results in the elections. Again, all by ourselves, without any PR agency or external advisors.

I must say that I find your system, that allows anyone interested to approach you and become active on an issue they find relevant, quite remarkable. A year ago, I attended your conference on education and social affairs that was opened for many key players and stakeholders not only from various institutions but also with truly different viewpoints. I know if I want to approach any of your members of parliament, I just open their diary on-line and make an appointment. Your meeting minutes of the party leadership are also on-line.

This is the hardest way to do politics, as anyone can approach you anytime. In the future, this might even become an issue of personal security. We have started with complete transparency and everyone around just kept saying that this is not the way to do it. Some areas where politics is done behind the scenes can actually be closed for us, as we are not part of that. In the long term, such openness has helped us, especially every time there was a campaign against us. The transparency on the other hand protects us. Every Pirate shares their contacts with lobbyists, so there is little that someone can expose about us. This openness is also essential for out of the box thinking. In case you are preparing a legislation challenging the status quo but applicable to the “real world”, you have to accept feedback from the “real world” from the beginning, not after you are done with the proposal. It is only natural to get upset after you have worked hard on something alone for a long time. Therefore, we involve as many stakeholders as possible from the very beginning, to end up with a solution that is acceptable for everyone who has participated. That is how we will run cities in the future.

I come from Jablonec nad Nisou and as a citizen, I am informed about the finished result. This is the passive way of communication. However, the world is an interactive place. It is not an evening movie where you just consume the final product. Therefore, we want to get people involved in the first place. If we take the field of construction as an example, the projects are finished much faster when you deal with any objections and concerns in the beginning compared to already presenting the future visualized project and being sued by various non-governmental organizations and interest groups. We invite and even challenge the experts to criticize our program, right now in particular on the topic of accessible housing. Some scientists are sometimes still a bit shy and reluctant to share their opinion, being afraid that we will be upset that they come with a different pointofview.Youdonothavetoaccepteverything but definitely you should be able to deal with a different point of view. We are also challenging the fact that we have no access to the data owned by various ministries, as we are not part of the government. We always have to ask the ministers for the data, however the data does not belong to them. When we get to some relevant data, we immediately share them to improve awareness.

You talked a lot about learning. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everything is a copy or a remix. Even for the Prague elections, we sent Mr. Zdeněk Hřib to visit several European cities that are unique in specific approaches to green fields, transportation, intelligent systems, parking lots, etc. Since we are in the European Union, we look mainly there. I myself, do not distinguish between the EU and the Czech Republic, I am European. Politically, the Pirates are based on the traditional principles of direct democracy, dating back to the ancient Greek society. Let me also mention that we also want to inspire others, that is why everything we produce is open and copy-left. We promote open data and open-access.

Who is Ivan Bartoš, when he is not a politician, and a leader, but when he is by himself, just as a private person?

I do not think I am a different person, I cannot be. I am aware of the fact that I am under public scrutiny all the time. Sometimes, I find I am perhaps less spontaneous and more sensitive about my sense of humor. I do not have time for my hobbies anymore. Other than that, you will find no difference. Otherwise, the media would have already disclosed it. I am simply transparent and open. I believe that this has already become the DNA of the Pirate party.

By Linda Štucbartová