Alois Kříž (26 February 1911 – 26 March 1947) was a

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

journalist and

Nazi collaborator In World War II, many governments, organizations and individuals Collaborationism, collaborated with the Axis powers, "out of conviction, desperation, or under coercion". Nationalists sometimes welcomed German or Italian troops they believed wou ...

. He was accused of collaboration and hanged in March 1947.

Biography

Alois Kříž was born in the

Ottensen Ottensen () (old name: Ottenhusen) is a former town located in Hamburg, Germany in the Altona borough on the right bank of the Elbe river. It is a now one of the 104 quarters of Hamburg. History The first record of Ottensen dates from 1310. ...

district of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, (Germany) to Czech parents. After his father was conscripted into the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

at the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Alois and his mother moved to

Ledvice Ledvice () is a town in Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. Etymology The name was derived from the personal name Ledva, meaning "the village of Ledva's people". Geography Ledvice i ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

, where he completed primary school. Kříž then studied at a secondary school in

Duchcov Duchcov (; ) is a town in Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,700 inhabitants. Duchcov is known for the Duchcov Castle. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is pro ...

, and in 1929 he started studying law at

Charles University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...

in Prague; however, he never graduated. In the aftermath of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

occupation of Czechoslovakia Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

and the establishment of the

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...

in March 1939, Kříž embraced

Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...

and started working as a journalist for the German occupiers. He was also a member of the

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

movement

Vlajka Český národně socialistický tábor — Vlajka (Czech National Socialist Camp — The Flag) was a Czech fascist, antisemitic and nationalist movement. Vlajka's eponymous newspaper was founded in 1928, its first editor being Miloš Maixner. ...

, and a writer of

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

and pro-Nazi propaganda literature. In 1944, Kříž was made editor-in-chief of Czech radio by the occupying authorities. At the beginning of the

Prague uprising The Prague uprising () was a partially successful attempt by the Czech resistance movement to liberate the city of Prague from German occupation in May 1945, during the end of World War II. The preceding six years of occupation had fuelled an ...

, Kříž was arrested by insurgents and after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he was accused of

collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. The ...

with the Germans and subsequently

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

by a people's court in Prague. He was hanged at

Pankrác Prison Pankrác Prison, officially Prague Pankrác Remand Prison (), is a prison in Prague, Czech Republic. A part of the Czech Prison Service, it is located southeast of Prague city centre in Pankrác, not far from Pražského povstání metro stati ...

in March 1947, together with fellow Nazi collaborators Rudolf Novák (of '' Arijský boj'') and Antonín J. Kožíšek. Kříž's last words were: ''"Ať žije národ, ať zhyne bolševismus!"'' ("Long live the nation, may

Bolshevism Bolshevism (derived from Bolshevik) is a revolutionary socialist current of Soviet Leninist and later Marxist–Leninist political thought and political regime associated with the formation of a rigidly centralized, cohesive and disciplined p ...

perish!")

Bibliography

* ''Krev za novou Evropu'' (1940) * ''Co víte o Židech?'' (1940)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kříž, Alois 1911 births 1947 deaths Czech anti-communists Czech journalists Czech propagandists Executed Czech collaborators with Nazi Germany Nazis executed by Czechoslovakia by hanging Czech radio journalists Czech radio presenters Radio controversies 20th-century journalists Charles University alumni