The Milíč House opened on Christmas Day 1933 in Prague, providing a sanctuary for children from impoverished families to engage in handicrafts, theatre, and sports. Founded by Přemysl Pitter, this institution served as a foundational model for his life's work in pedagogy, social welfare, and his later commitment to rescuing individuals from the ravages of war.
Early Development and War
Born in Smíchov in 1895, Pitter was the son of Karel and Žofie Pitter. Following the loss of his parents in 1911 and 1913, he struggled to manage the family printing business. His enlistment as a volunteer during World War I proved a pivotal turning point, leaving him with profound psychological scars that transitioned him into a lifelong pacifist and devout Christian. By 1921, he had enrolled at the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University.
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Pitter dedicated his efforts to socially vulnerable children throughout the 1920s and 1930s. He joined organizations such as the League Against Anti-Semitism and the War Resisters’ International, while editing the magazine Sbratření. In 1926, he began his lifelong collaboration with Olga Fierz. The Milíč House project aimed to foster cooperation and solidarity among youths through diverse educational activities.
Wartime Resistance and Operation Castles
During the German occupation, Pitter utilized the Milíč House as a covert base to support persecuted Jewish families. Despite interrogations by the Gestapo, he continued his work. Between 1945 and 1947, he spearheaded Operation Castles, utilizing former estates like Štiřín and Olešovice to provide care for 810 children released from concentration and internment camps, including Yehuda Bacon.
Emigration and Later Years
The 1948 communist takeover of Czechoslovakia forced Pitter to flee in 1951 to avoid imprisonment. He settled in the Federal Republic of Germany, working at the Valka refugee camp near Nuremberg, before moving to Affoltern am Albis, Switzerland, in 1962. Throughout his exile, he collaborated with the BBC and Radio Free Europe. He died in 1976.
Fast facts
- Born: 1895, Smíchov
- Died: 1976, Zurich/Affoltern am Albis
- Primary Occupations: Pedagogue, preacher, social worker, pacifist
- Education: Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University
- Righteous Among the Nations: 1964
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany: 1973
- Language skills: Czech, German, Esperanto
Questions readers ask
What was Operation Castles?
It was a postwar humanitarian relief effort directed by Pitter between 1945 and 1947 that rehabilitated 810 children from concentration and internment camps.
Why did Přemysl Pitter emigrate?
He fled Czechoslovakia in 1951 to escape political persecution following the communist seizure of power.
Achievements
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 1973
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1964
- Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
- Worked as pedagogue, Esperantist and poet
- Educated at Protestant Theological Faculty – Charles University
