Jiří Navrátil, Czech scout leader, Died at 93

Jiří Navrátil was born on September 10, 1923, and died on January 16, 2017.

He served as the President of Junák, the Czech Scout, and Guide association.

He was born in Germany where his father was a consul.

During 1937, Jiří became a Scout in Prague.

Jiří Navrátil was arrested and held several months by the Gestapo during World War II.

In 1949, Navrátil tried to oppose the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia with other Scouts.

Jiří was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was released in 1960.

During the Prague Spring in 1968, Navrátil was one of the refounders of Junák, the Czech Scout movement, which was suppressed again in 1970.

After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he became one of the main Leaders of the third restoration of Junák.

Navrátil was one of the facilitators of the 1999 10th European Conference of Guiding and Scouting in Prague, in which President Václav Havel gave the opening speech.

During 2002, he was awarded the 292nd Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting.

Jiří Navrátil passed away at 93 years old.