František Kriegel
Encyclopedia
František Kriegel was a Czechoslovak
politician, physician, and a member of the Communist Party reform wing of Prague Spring
(1968). He was the only one of the political leaders kidnapped
to Moscow
during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
who declined to sign the Moscow Protocol
.
), Austria-Hungary
(present Ukraine
) to the family of a Jewish builder. His father died when František was ten, and the family became dependent upon help from František's grandfather. Due to the fierce anti-semitism in Galicia of that time, young Kriegel left home to study medicine at German part of Charles University in Prague
(instead of the nearby Lviv University
where there was an unofficial Jewish quota
in place). His mother could only give him a little money and six white shirts.
, he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
(KSČ) and believed that social
and national justice
would solve the problem of the poor
and the Jewish Question
. He became a doctor of medicine
in 1934 and started his career in the I. Internal Medicine Clinic in Prague.
to fight against Spanish nationalists of General Franco in the Spanish Civil War
. He served as a doctor and gained the rank of Major
. After the defeat of Republicans in 1939, Kriegel crossed the Pyrenees
to France
where he was interned in Saint-Cyprien
and then in Camp Gurs
. A return to Czechoslovakia was impossible because it had been occupied by Nazi Germany. Kriegel accepted the challenge of the Norwegian
Red Cross to go as a doctor to China
to help in the Second Sino-Japanese War
. He joined a group of 20 doctors, among them Friedrich Kisch (1894–1968), brother to Egon Erwin Kisch
. During the siege of Walawbum, he treated nearly 50 injured soldiers. Toward the end of the war, he served with Chinese and American units in India
and Burma where he witnessed the victory of the Allies
in October 1945.
(People's Militias) when the KSČ seized control of the country in February 1948
. He was appointed as the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in 1949. During the political purges of the Party in the 1950s, Kriegel had to leave the Ministry and worked as a doctor for the Tatra company. He resumed his medical career in 1957 and became Chief Physician at the Vinohrady
hospital in Prague. In 1960, he went to Cuba
as an adviser of the Fidel Castro
's government on the organisation of medical care – thus he was there at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis
. When he returned to Czechoslovakia, Kriegel refused a post in the Party organisation but stood as the Member of the National Assembly
and was elected in 1964. Finally, he became a member of the Central Committee of KSČ in 1966, though he was opposed to the conservative neo-Stalinist
stream in the Party. When Alexander Dubček
was elected the First Secretary of the Central Committee of KSČ in January 1968, Kriegel was one of the main proponents of the democratic wing of the Party. Throughout this period, he did not give up his medical career; he worked as the Chief Physician first at the Rheumatic Diseases Research Institute (1963–65) and then at Thomayer hospital in Prague (1965–69).
(a coalition of the Communist Party and its allied satellite parties) and a member of Presidium of the Central Committee of KSČ. As one of the main personalities during the Prague Spring
, he grew to be hated by Soviet
officials as well as the conservative Czech Communists. During the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
on August 21, 1968, he and five other main representatives of the Party were arrested by the Soviet KGB
and Czech StB
(Šalgovič) units and deported by plane to Moscow (the others were Alexander Dubček
, Oldřich Černík
, Josef Smrkovský
, Josef Špaček
, and Bohumil Šimon). Kriegel was treated particularly roughly, and made the target of anti-semitic insults. He was so distrusted by the Soviets that he was not allowed to be present during the negotiations of the two parties, and when he was asked to sign the text of the concluding statement he was the only one of 26 politicians to refuse. "Send me to Siberia or shoot me dead," he replied. He was eventually released with the others and accordingly, he voted against the Temporary Sojourn of the Soviet Army Treaty in October 1968 (with three other MPs). He was removed from the Central Committee and then from the Party in 1969.
. He died in hospital in Prague under police control in 1979, and his body was seized by the authorities to prevent any demonstrations at a funeral.
in 1987 and is funded by the Charter 77 Fund.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
politician, physician, and a member of the Communist Party reform wing of Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
(1968). He was the only one of the political leaders kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
who declined to sign the Moscow Protocol
Moscow Protocol
Moscow Protocol was a document signed by Czechoslovak political leaders in Moscow, after the Prague Spring. The negotiations took place from 23 to 26 August 1968...
.
Early life
František Kriegel was born in Stanislau (today Ivano-FrankivskIvano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
), Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
(present Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) to the family of a Jewish builder. His father died when František was ten, and the family became dependent upon help from František's grandfather. Due to the fierce anti-semitism in Galicia of that time, young Kriegel left home to study medicine at German part of Charles University in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(instead of the nearby Lviv University
Lviv University
The Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
where there was an unofficial Jewish quota
Jewish quota
Jewish quota was a percentage that limited the number of Jews in various establishments. In particular, in 19th and 20th centuries some countries had Jewish quotas for higher education, a special case of Numerus clausus....
in place). His mother could only give him a little money and six white shirts.
Prague
Kriegel had to earn a living in a shoemaker's shop or as a theatre figurant (he even sold sausages in football stadiums), but he enjoyed an independent life in the highly tolerant society of 1920s Czechoslovakia. During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
(KSČ) and believed that social
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and national justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
would solve the problem of the poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and the Jewish Question
Jewish Question
The Jewish question encompasses the issues and resolutions surrounding the historically unequal civil, legal and national statuses between minority Ashkenazi Jews and non-Jews, particularly in Europe. The first issues discussed and debated by societies, politicians and writers in western and...
. He became a doctor of medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1934 and started his career in the I. Internal Medicine Clinic in Prague.
Spain and the Far East
In December 1936, Kriegel joined the International BrigadesInternational Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
to fight against Spanish nationalists of General Franco in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. He served as a doctor and gained the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. After the defeat of Republicans in 1939, Kriegel crossed the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where he was interned in Saint-Cyprien
Saint-Cyprien
Saint-Cyprien is the name or part of the name of several places. Most of them are named after Cyprian:-Canada:* Saint-Cyprien, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Quebec, municipality in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Quebec...
and then in Camp Gurs
Camp Gurs
Camp Gurs was an internment and refugee camp constructed by the French government in 1939. The camp was originally set up in southwestern France after the fall of Catalonia at the end of the Spanish Civil War to control those who fled Spain out of fear of retaliation from Francisco Franco's regime...
. A return to Czechoslovakia was impossible because it had been occupied by Nazi Germany. Kriegel accepted the challenge of the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Red Cross to go as a doctor to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to help in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. He joined a group of 20 doctors, among them Friedrich Kisch (1894–1968), brother to Egon Erwin Kisch
Egon Erwin Kisch
Egon Erwin Kisch was a Czechoslovak writer and journalist, who wrote in German. Known as the The raging reporter from Prague, Kisch was noted for his development of literary reportage and his opposition to Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.- Biography :Kisch was born into a wealthy, German-speaking...
. During the siege of Walawbum, he treated nearly 50 injured soldiers. Toward the end of the war, he served with Chinese and American units in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Burma where he witnessed the victory of the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in October 1945.
Back in Czechoslovakia
Kriegel returned to Czechoslovakia in November 1945 and, while continuing to work as a doctor, he involved himself in the political work of the Communist Party. He was a member of the KSČ Regional Committee in Prague and was working as a secretary in Lidové milicePeople's Militias (Czechoslovakia)
People's Militias was a militia organisation of Communist Party of Czechoslovakia during between 1948 and 1989.- History :...
(People's Militias) when the KSČ seized control of the country in February 1948
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
. He was appointed as the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in 1949. During the political purges of the Party in the 1950s, Kriegel had to leave the Ministry and worked as a doctor for the Tatra company. He resumed his medical career in 1957 and became Chief Physician at the Vinohrady
Vinohrady
Vinohrady is a cadastral district in Prague. It is so named because the area was once covered in vineyards dating from the 14th century...
hospital in Prague. In 1960, he went to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
as an adviser of the Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's government on the organisation of medical care – thus he was there at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
. When he returned to Czechoslovakia, Kriegel refused a post in the Party organisation but stood as the Member of the National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
and was elected in 1964. Finally, he became a member of the Central Committee of KSČ in 1966, though he was opposed to the conservative neo-Stalinist
Neo-Stalinism
Neo-Stalinism is a political term referring to attempts at rehabilitating the role of Joseph Stalin in history and re-establishing the political course of Stalin, at least partially. The term is also used to designate the modern political regimes in some states, political and social life of which...
stream in the Party. When Alexander Dubček
Alexander Dubcek
Alexander Dubček , also known as Dikita, was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia , famous for his attempt to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring...
was elected the First Secretary of the Central Committee of KSČ in January 1968, Kriegel was one of the main proponents of the democratic wing of the Party. Throughout this period, he did not give up his medical career; he worked as the Chief Physician first at the Rheumatic Diseases Research Institute (1963–65) and then at Thomayer hospital in Prague (1965–69).
Prague Spring
In April 1968, Kriegel became the chairman of the Central Committee of the National FrontNational Front (Czechoslovakia)
The National Front was the coalition of parties which headed the re-established Czechoslovakian government from 1945 to 1948. During the Communist era in Czechoslovakia it was the vehicle for control of all political and social activity by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia...
(a coalition of the Communist Party and its allied satellite parties) and a member of Presidium of the Central Committee of KSČ. As one of the main personalities during the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
, he grew to be hated by Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
officials as well as the conservative Czech Communists. During the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
on August 21, 1968, he and five other main representatives of the Party were arrested by the Soviet KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and Czech StB
STB
STB is an acronym that can mean:* Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus – Bachelor of Sacred Theology* Set-top box – a television device that converts signals to viewable images* Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP -- a law firm...
(Šalgovič) units and deported by plane to Moscow (the others were Alexander Dubček
Alexander Dubcek
Alexander Dubček , also known as Dikita, was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia , famous for his attempt to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring...
, Oldřich Černík
Oldrich Cerník
Oldřich Černík was a Czechoslovakian Communist political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia from April 8, 1968 to January 28, 1970....
, Josef Smrkovský
Josef Smrkovský
Josef Smrkovský was a Czechoslovak politician and a member of the Communist Party reform wing during the 1968 Prague Spring.- Early life :...
, Josef Špaček
Josef Špacek
Josef Špaček was a Czechoslovak communist politician who was an important member of the government during the 1968 reformist period known as the Prague Spring. He was appointed to the Central Committee of the communist party of Czechoslovakia after communist party leader Antonín Novotný was...
, and Bohumil Šimon). Kriegel was treated particularly roughly, and made the target of anti-semitic insults. He was so distrusted by the Soviets that he was not allowed to be present during the negotiations of the two parties, and when he was asked to sign the text of the concluding statement he was the only one of 26 politicians to refuse. "Send me to Siberia or shoot me dead," he replied. He was eventually released with the others and accordingly, he voted against the Temporary Sojourn of the Soviet Army Treaty in October 1968 (with three other MPs). He was removed from the Central Committee and then from the Party in 1969.
1969-1979
In the last decade of his life, Kriegel worked for the opposition. He was among the first to sign Charter 77Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
. He died in hospital in Prague under police control in 1979, and his body was seized by the authorities to prevent any demonstrations at a funeral.
Legacy
The "František Kriegel Award" is granted annually to a person who has fought for human rights. It was founded in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1987 and is funded by the Charter 77 Fund.