Over 900 children survived the Buchenwald concentration camp through the clandestine efforts of Antonín Kalina, a political prisoner who utilized his status in the camp resistance to establish a protected sanctuary. By orchestrating a quarantine zone and manipulating official records, Kalina shielded vulnerable boys from the routine violence and forced labor imposed by the Nazi administration.
Early Life and Political Imprisonment
Born in 1902 in Třebíč, Antonín Kalina grew up as one of twelve children in a family of limited means. After training as a shoemaker, his political convictions led him to join the Communist Party. Following the Nazi occupation, his political affiliations resulted in his arrest in 1939. He spent the duration of World War II imprisoned, initially held at Dachau before his eventual transfer to the Buchenwald concentration camp.
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As the Red Army advanced, thousands of prisoners were transported to Buchenwald from camps in Eastern Europe between 1944 and 1945. Among the arrivals were numerous boys aged 12 to 16. Working with his deputy Gustav Schiller, Kalina leveraged the camp resistance network to secure a specific area known as Block 66. To deter SS guards from entering, they designated this space as a quarantine zone for communicable diseases such as typhus. This ruse allowed Kalina to spare the boys from the camp's standard physical abuse, while providing extra food, improved bedding, and organized educational lessons.
Resistance and Concealment
The danger intensified as the front lines moved closer to the camp and officials ordered all Jewish prisoners to assemble for transport. Kalina successfully falsified identification documents for the boys within his block and removed their identifying yellow badges. When SS personnel arrived, he maintained the deception that no Jewish prisoners were present, effectively preventing their deportation and further exploitation. Kalina returned to Czechoslovakia after the war, living in Prague until his death on 26 November 1990.
Posthumous Recognition
For decades, Kalina did not speak publicly about his wartime activities, and the survivors initially remained silent regarding their experiences. His actions eventually gained global recognition through the research of American historian Kenneth Waltzer and the documentary Kinderblock 66: Return to Buchenwald. In 2012, Yad Vashem awarded him the title Righteous Among the Nations. President Miloš Zeman subsequently presented him with the Czech Medal of Merit, First Grade, on 28 September 2014. He is buried in Prague at the Olšany Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 17 February 1902, Třebíč
- Died: 26 November 1990, Prague
- Citizenship: Czechoslovakia
- Primary Occupation: Politician
- Righteous Among the Nations: 3 June 2012
- Czech Medal of Merit: 28 September 2014
- Interment: Olšany Cemetery, Prague
Questions readers ask
How did Kalina protect the children in Buchenwald?
He established a quarantine zone designated for infectious diseases to keep SS guards away and falsified documents to hide the Jewish identities of the boys.
Why was he recognized posthumously?
Kalina did not discuss his wartime actions during his life, and it was only through historical research and the documentary Kinderblock 66 that his efforts became documented.
Achievements
- Czech Medal of Merit — 2014
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2012
- Worked as politician
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