by Unbreakable- The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World's Most Dangerous Horse Race (retail) (epub)
I owe a huge debt to eva krákorová Jindrová and her colleagues at the state archive in Dobříchovice, who have tolerated my repeated interruptions of their cataloguing of the Pospíšil papers and patiently shared their findings with me. Zuzana Ouhrabková guided me through many otherwise forbidding archives and made valuable discoveries. I am also grateful to Stanislav Mikule at the regional museum in Žďár nad Sázavou; Michael Skopal at the state regional archive in Zámrsk; Jitka bílková and Petr Zeman at the security services archive in Prague; and to the staff at the national library of the Czech republic, the british library, the state archive in Prague and the regional archive in Pardubice. renáta Tetřevová, at Pardubice’s Východočeské museum, was enormously helpful when it came to tracking down photographs, as was Vlastimil Šimůnek, director of Česká televize’s Podkova Laty Brandisové.
My particular thanks are due to Martin Cáp, kamila Pecherová, robin Healey, Jiří Pšenička and Dr Jon Hughes (of royal Holloway, University of london) – all experts in their different fields – who not only gave me generous quantities of wise and expert advice but also very kindly read my manuscript (in some cases several versions of it) and pointed out numerous errors. needless to say, mistakes that remain are mine alone.
From beginning to end, an essential role in my research has been played by three gifted and loyal interpreters, who have supported me in ways that went far beyond mere translation. anna kudrnová, Petr bráník and radka brahová all have cause to think of this as ‘their’ book. I hope that they are not disappointed. I am also grateful to Tim broughton, editorial director of Yellow Jersey, Frances Jessop, my brilliant editor, and Victoria Hobbs, my agent, for their guidance and support. above all, I thank my family – Clare, Isobel, edward, anne – for their love, encouragement and, not least, patience. My previous book had a Czechoslovak subject (the athlete emil Zátopek). When I finished that, in 2016, I promised that my next project would not involve endless research in a faraway country where everyone spoke Czech. Then I came across lata’s story. This time, I really do promise – with the proviso that, when I look at the list above and think about the kindness so many Czech people have shown me, I already feel tempted to break my word again.
List of Illustrations
1. The Brandis family in 1903; officers’ race; Řitka (all © Pospíšil archive).
2. Lata on Nevěsta in 1927 (© Josef Pirka, courtesy of Vychodočeské Muzeum, Pardubice); Lata on Norma in 1933 (© Vychodočeské Muzeum, Pardubice); Lata after falling with Norma in 1935 (courtesy of Vlastimil Šimůnek); Lata and Norma at the water jump in 1934 (courtesy of Vlastimil Šimůnek).
3. Zdenko radslav kinský (courtesy of lenka Gotthardová); Hanuš kasalický (courtesy of Jan Doležal); karel Šmejda (© Vychodočeské Muzeum, Pardubice).
4. leopold von Fugger (© klub přátel Pardubicka); Hans Schmidt (© Sankt Georg); Oskar lengnik (© Sankt Georg); Tomáš Masaryk’s funeral in Prague (© CTk).
5. Lata on Norma in 1937 (courtesy of Česká televise); Wilibald Schlagbaum (© Chicago agency, courtesy of Vychodočeské Muzeum, Pardubice); lata and norma approaching finish line in 1937 (courtesy of Česká televise); lata dismounting (© Pospíšil archive).
6. Lata and Norma being led through the crowd; Ra, Lata and Josef Soukup (all © Pospíšil archive).
7. Lata at the ball at Ra’s chateau (© Pospíšil archive); Lata jumping on Otello in 1947 (© Jetřich Hemský, courtesy of Vychodočeské Muzeum, Pardubice); Lata and her sisters and cousin outside their cottage (© Pospíšil archive).
8. Lata with a horse at Řitka; Lata at Reiteregg in 1981 (both © Pospíšil archive).
End papers: profiles of the Velká Pardubická jumps in 1937, based on the official race-day programme (with additional acknowledgements to Jaroslav Hubálek, Miloslav Nehyba and the late Miloš Svoboda). Taxis is obstacle No. 4
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders. The publishers would be pleased to correct any inadvertent omissions or errors at the earliest possible opportunity.
Index
Page numbers listed correspond to the print edition of this book. You can use your device’s search function to locate particular terms in the text.
LB indicates Lata Brandisová.
Alba, Alexander 138
Albrecht, Antonín 143
Albrecht, F. 144–5
Aldaniti 338
All Right II 97, 110, 119, 120, 121–2
Alphabet 95
Appleton, Peter 38
Armytage, Marcus 42, 321, 323
Ataraxia 149, 161, 162
Aubrecht, Captain (later, Major) František 204, 205, 215, 227, 248, 251, 255
Auden, W. H. 212
Auersperg, Prince 29
Auschwitz concentration camp 111, 250, 255
Austro-Hungarian Empire 11, 26, 27, 32, 53, 54–6, 60–6, 85, 196, 252
Backenhaus, Otto 201, 214, 229
Baker, Josephine 103
Balšánek, Antonín 95
Baltazzi, Hector 100
Baluchová, Lucie 326, 328, 329, 336
Barbarossa, Operation (1941) 248–9
Barony Fort 310, 311, 312
barouche 17, 167
Bartosch, František 100
Battleship 338
BBC 311
Beate 184
Běhal, Jan 177, 291
Belcredi, Karel 244
Beneš, Edvard 213, 240, 241, 242, 266, 274, 275
Benešová, Božena 104
Ben Hur 134, 146, 149, 184
Bezuglij, Captain Sergěj 110, 120
Blackmore, Rachael 330
Bocquet, André 322–3
Bohemia 5, 10, 12, 13, 15, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 42, 43, 55, 56, 61, 62–4, 66, 69, 70, 107, 132, 189, 216, 244, 248, 249, 315 see also individual place and area name
Bonaparte, Napoleon 26, 74
Böttcher, Helmut 201, 205, 254
Boy 136
Bozděch, Captain 284, 286
Brabencová, Alena 125, 291, 294
Brandis, Count Heinrich (grandfather) 18, 43
Brandis, Count Leopold (brother):
birth 14
death 21, 65
Brandis, Count Leopold (father) 20, 21, 87
appearance and character 19, 68
death 127, 129
family background 10
finances 11, 12, 15, 16–17
First World War and 57, 60, 62, 63, 66, 68
First Republic and 68, 69–70, 75
Franz Ferdinand and 53, 56
horses and 12, 16, 17, 18, 27, 46, 47–8, 60
Josef Pospíšil and 77
LB’s ambitions to become a jockey and 47–8, 78, 113, 114
marriage 12–14, 102
Velká Chuchle and 46
Brandis, Count Mikuláš (brother):
army career 50, 54, 56, 57, 61, 62, 64–5, 66, 68, 87
birth 14
death 64–5, 66, 68, 87
First World War and 56, 57, 61, 62, 64–5, 66, 68, 87
Brandisová, Countess Alžběta (sister) 166, 178, 221, 288
birth 14
childhood 18, 49, 65
children and 82, 177, 178, 260, 289, 296, 302
church attendance 166
marriage 77, 82, 207
Prague, life in 177, 247, 280
Brandisová, Countess Barbara (grandmother) 43–4
Brandisová, Countess Gabriele (sister):
Austria, life in 177, 247, 267
birth and 14
childhood 18–19
children and 316
church attendance 166
death 306
sisters and 65, 77, 128, 166
Brandisová, Countess Johanna (née von Schäffer) (mother) 10, 127, 128
character 19
children and 13–14, 16–17, 21, 50, 57, 65
death 102
family background 12, 13
First World War and 57, 64, 65, 68
mother’s debts and 57, 68
> Řitka family chateau and 13, 14, 15, 18, 57, 69, 71
social life 47–8, 50
Brandisová, Countess Johanna (sister) 260
birth 14
character 19
childhood 19, 53, 65, 128, 166, 177
eviction from Řitka family chateau 288, 295
Gikina Satorieová, lives with 316
Klínec cottage, life in 295, 296, 297, 302, 316
religion and 166, 297
sisters and 177, 260, 280
Brandisová, Countess Kristýna (sister) 77, 128, 194, 260, 261, 280
birth 12–13, 14
childhood 17, 18, 65, 194
church attendance 166
death 316, 317, 318
eviction from Řitka family chateau 288, 295
Klínec cottage, life in 295, 296
sisters and 177, 260, 261, 280
Brandisová, Countess Maria Theresia (aunt) 20
Brandisová, Countess Marie Immaculata (Lata):
appearance 8, 10–11, 48, 50, 118, 235, 236–7, 309, 318–19
birth 12–13
burial 4, 318
childhood 5–6, 10–22, 40, 41, 43–4, 45–51, 52, 53, 56, 317
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1948–89), life in 275–317
death 4, 318
education 17–18, 49
eightieth birthday 309
family and see individual family member name
First World War (1914–18) and 57, 58–60, 62, 69, 75–6
fortieth birthday 179
gender politics and 71–3, 74–5, 103, 199–200
German language and 16, 18, 49, 70, 71, 146, 195, 196, 250–1, 294
good and faithful servant, as 342
hardship, endurance of 2, 340–1
harness races 81
horseraces see individual race name
horses see individual horse name
horses, love of 8, 17, 18, 24, 47, 52, 58–9, 78, 80, 87, 131, 178–9, 303–4, 316, 317, 337, 338–40, 341–2
injuries/accidents 4, 125, 162–3, 271, 284–6, 289, 290
jockey, route to becoming a 46–7, 49, 77, 80–1, 82–4, 91–2
Kinský colours and 119, 186, 230, 283, 331
Kinský horses and 89, 90
Klínec, move to and life in 1–2, 3–5, 292–3, 295–300, 314–15
legacy 7, 146, 320, 326, 327–9, 331–2
Nazi threat to democratic Czechoslovakia and 238, 239, 240, 241–2, 245–6, 267
nobility of 342
old age 1–2, 3, 292–3, 295–300, 301–10, 314–15
partial rehabilitation of 327–8, 331–2
Prague uprising (1945) and 263–4
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, life under 247–8, 250–1, 252, 254, 256, 257–8, 259, 260–4, 267–8
racehorse owner 147–8, 156, 166, 167, 176, 178, 179, 191, 217, 225, 238, 239, 243
Reiteregg, Austria, move to 316–18
relationships/friends see individual name
religion and 4, 49, 117, 130, 186, 207, 224, 275, 276, 279, 283, 297, 304, 318
riding lessons, first 17
Řitka family chateau, evicted from 6, 292–4
Řitka family chateau, management of 57, 58–60, 61, 62, 64, 68, 75, 130, 177, 247–8
Řitka family chateau, museum in 7, 340
romantic relationships, possibility of 82–4, 103, 106, 113, 121, 128, 129–30, 147, 148, 156, 166, 167, 177, 193, 207–8, 238, 239, 242, 255–6, 258, 266, 269, 280, 302–3
Šmejda stable and 77–9, 83–4, 117–18, 126, 129, 147–8, 165, 166, 167, 178, 207, 217, 233, 243, 247, 255, 261, 264, 269, 270, 280
smoking 2, 79, 127, 314
soldier’s heart 340, 341
State Racecourses meeting to discuss commemoration of Popler’s death (1969), invited to 306
Velká Chuchle and see Velká Chuchle
Velká Pardubická, idea of racing first proposed to 91–2, 98–101
Velká Pardubická (1927) and 109–24, 125, 309, 327
Velká Pardubická (1930) and 134–40
Velká Pardubická (1931) and 142–6
Velká Pardubická (1932) and 147–9
Velká Pardubická (1933) and 153, 156–64
Velká Pardubická (1934) and 165–6, 171–4, 175–6
Velká Pardubická (1935) and 182–8
Velká Pardubická (1936) and 199–200, 205
Velká Pardubická (1937) and 3, 206–7, 216–23, 224–34, 235–7
Velká Pardubická (1946) and 270–1
Velká Pardubická (1947) and 273–4
Velká Pardubická (1948) and 277
Velká Pardubická (1949) and 282
Velká Pardubická (1965) and 300–1
Velká Pardubická (1966) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1967) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1968) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1969) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1970) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1971) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1972) and 305
Velká Pardubická (1973) and 42, 306–8
Velká Pardubická (1974) and 308–9
Velká Pardubická (1977) and 309–13
Virgin Mary medallion 117, 186, 224, 279, 283
Brandisová, Countess Marie Therese (sister):
Austria, life in 177, 267
birth 14
childhood 15, 18
death 306
marriage 77
sisters and 19, 53, 65
Brandisová, Countess Markéta (sister):
birth 14
childhood 18
children and 217, 235–6, 247
church attendance 166
death 259–60, 261
marriage 129, 193, 258
sisters and 65, 177
Braune Band von Deutschland 169
Brew (later, Budd), Charlotte 310–13, 326, 328, 337
Breyers, Petr 303, 306, 308, 314–15
Brundage, Avery 126
Brutus 121, 122, 123, 167
Buchenwald concentration camp 212
Büvös 129
Býček, Lieutenant Hynek 110, 111, 139, 255
Campana 145
Cáp, Martin 4–5
Caraibe 145
Čáslavská, Věra 3
Častora, Jakub 116, 120
Cavaill, Lieutenant P. de 173, 185
Cavalet 300–1
cavalry 12, 27, 30, 32, 44, 53, 60, 61, 95, 96–8, 101, 109–10, 111, 118, 143, 145–6, 186, 202, 213, 219, 248–9, 253, 256, 262
Černý, Augustin 17
Chailand 327
Chaloupka, Václav 227
Chamberlain, Neville 240, 243
Champion, Bob 338
Chán 138
Chanel, Coco 103
Charles I, Emperor 12, 63, 66
Charme Look 327, 336
Charous, Captain Josef 110, 111, 112, 118, 119, 123, 124, 255, 270
Charvátová, Renata 326, 328
Chilperic 107
China 212
Chlumec nad Cidlinou 31, 34, 43, 85, 86, 87, 89, 91, 95, 98, 131, 155, 156, 158, 165, 176, 191, 192, 193, 217, 219, 221, 235, 256, 300, 339
Churchill, Lady Randolph 32
Čibuk 217
Čigýr 166, 173, 175, 179, 185, 186, 187
Čingischán 282
Čipera 215, 228
Clary-Aldringen, Prince Alfons 244–5
Clematis 161, 162, 163, 175
Clever Hans 158
Cold War, The (1947–91) 93, 307, 308
Collins, Christopher 42, 307–9, 321, 322
Committee for Women’s Suffrage, Czech 55
Communist Party, Czech 195, 268, 271, 272, 273, 274–5, 278, 280, 281, 285, 287–92, 304, 305–6, 318, 322, 326
Condor Legion 189, 212
Congress of Vienna (1815) 89
Conservative Landowners’ Party 70
Corail, Lieutenant du 161
Coubertin, Baron Pierre de 105
Country Life 306–7
Coura-Iris 283, 284
Csató, A. 145
Czechoslovak Derby 5, 84
(1931) 141, 147
(1972) 316
Czechoslovakia:
Constitution 72, 73, 103
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1948–89) 6, 40–1, 111, 195, 268, 271–3, 274–318, 320, 322, 340
democratic (1989–92) 6, 320, 321
dissolution of (1993) 321
elections (1946) 268
establishment of (1918) 66, 67–8, 69, 72
First Republic (1918–38) 67–242, 258, 271, 273, 282
First World War and 56–7, 58–66, 67, 69, 85, 86, 87, 93, 95, 100, 101, 111, 129, 154, 171, 184–5, 195–6, 213, 241, 252, 299
Fund for National Renewal 271, 288
gender politics and 71–3, 74–5, 81, 103–7, 182, 199–200, 218–19
German invasion of (1939) 243
German minority, post- Second World War treatment of 266–7, 270, 272
German threat to (1930s) 133–4, 152, 160, 168, 180–2, 194–5, 204, 225, 227–8, 238, 239–42, 244–5, 249–50, 266–7
Law 142/1947 271–2
Law 143/1947 Sb (Lex Schwarzenberg) 276
liberation of (1945) 262–4, 265–7
National Assembly 67, 72
Prague Spring (1968) 300, 305
Second Republic (1938–9) 242–4
Second World War and/ Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of, 1939–45) 244–65, 266
sport and nationalism in 167–9
Sudetenland and 133–4, 152, 160, 168, 180–2, 194–5, 204, 225, 238, 239–42, 244–5, 266–7
Third Republic (1945–8) 266–74
Velká Pardubická and see Velká Pardubická
Velvet Revolution (1989) 6, 321
Czechoslovak Legion 63, 64, 196, 211, 212, 219
Czechoslovak National Committee 63, 66
Czechoslovak Racing Association 281
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1948–89) 6, 40–1, 111, 195, 268, 271–3, 274–318, 320, 322, 340
Czech Republic (1993–) 10, 321, 330, 340
Czech Union for Cooperation with the Germans 244
Dachau concentration camp 151, 172
Dagger 215, 227, 228, 229
Daladier, Édouard 240, 242
Damion 327
Daneš, Vladimír 250, 267, 288
Dante 147, 167
