Bronisław "Bronek" Czech (; 25 July 1908 – 4 June 1944) was a Polish sportsman and artist. A gifted skier, he won championships of Poland 24 times in various skiing disciplines, including

Alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...

Nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Re ...

and

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...

. A member of the Polish national team at three consecutive

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

, he was also one of the pioneers of mountain rescue in the Tatra Mountains and a glider instructor. He was murdered in the

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

Biography

Czech was born 25 July 1908Some sources cite 16 August of the same year. in

Zakopane Zakopane (Gorals#Language, Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has ...

, then in

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

Galicia. His parents were Józef Czech and Stanisława née Namysłowska. There he attended local public school and a private gymnasium, but in the end he finished only three classes of a local

wood industry The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry – when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry (economics), industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and woo ...

school (in 1927).olimpijski.pl
The same year he joined the ''SN PTT-1907 Klub Sportowy Kemping Zakopane''. In late 1920s he moved to

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, where he graduated from the Central Institute of Physical Education. This gave him the diploma of a professional

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

teacher and a skiing instructor. He was 24 times Polish champion in different ski competitions and took part in the

of 1928, 1932 and 1936. He finished 10th in the

Nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...

and 37th in the

at the

1928 Winter Olympics The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games (; ; ; ) and commonly known as St. Moritz 1928 (; ), were an international winter multi-sport event that was celebrated from 11 to 19 February 1928 in St. Moritz, Swit ...

St. Moritz St. Moritz ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in the administrative region of Maloja in the Swiss ...

. Four years later, at the

1932 Winter Olympics The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 ...

held in

Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, Essex County, New York (state), New York, United States. In 2020, its population was 2,205. The village of Lake Placid ...

, Czech was 7th in the Nordic combined, 12th in ski jumping and 18th in the 18 km cross-country event. At his final Olympics of

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; ) is an Northern Limestone Alps, Alpine mountain resort, ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district), district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ...

he finished 16. in the Nordic combined, 20th in

, 33rd in both ski jumping and the 18 km cross-country event, and 7th in the 4 x 10 km cross-country relay. During the

Second World War 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 a soldier of Polish Underground (

Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

) and courier from occupied Poland to the West. He was captured by Germans, imprisoned and murdered in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

. Some of his paintings are preserved in the concentration camp's museum.
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Invalid ski jumping world record

Not recognized! Crashed shortly after standing at world record distance, although judges recognized it.

Bronisław Czech in literature

# ''The Hamsa'' by E.S. Kraay,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Czech, Bronislaw 1908 births 1944 deaths Polish resistance members of World War II Olympic alpine skiers for Poland Olympic cross-country skiers for Poland Olympic Nordic combined skiers for Poland Olympic ski jumpers for Poland Polish male alpine skiers Polish male cross-country skiers Polish mountain climbers Polish male Nordic combined skiers Polish male ski jumpers Alpine skiers at the 1936 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1932 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1936 Winter Olympics Nordic combined skiers at the 1928 Winter Olympics Nordic combined skiers at the 1932 Winter Olympics Nordic combined skiers at the 1936 Winter Olympics Ski jumpers at the 1928 Winter Olympics Ski jumpers at the 1932 Winter Olympics Ski jumpers at the 1936 Winter Olympics Polish military patrol (sport) runners Military patrol competitors at the 1928 Winter Olympics Olympic biathletes for Poland Resistance members who died in Nazi concentration camps Polish people who died in Auschwitz concentration camp Sportspeople from Zakopane Polish civilians killed in World War II 20th-century Polish sportsmen

Biography

Invalid ski jumping world record

Bronisław Czech in literature

See also

References