1945 Expanding Again
Liga československých woodcrafterů ("League of Czechoslovak Woodcrafters", LČSW)
Picture from p. 136 1. The cover of the Delawares tribe's chronicle, 1945. ~z~ JS
Picture from p. 136 2. Post-war camping at Stvořidla. ~z~ PM
Picture from p. 136 3. The first post-war letter from E. T. Seton – Black Wolf to Czechoslovakia, 23. 11. 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 136 4. LČSW's big camp at Stvořidla was led by Wapiton (standing on the left behind his wife), 1946. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 137 5. The cover of Ink's handbook Stezka ("Path"), 1946. ~a~ FIC, ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 137 6. The cover of the new edition of the Roll, 1948. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 137 7. The cover of the first post-war Hlasatel ("Reporter"), 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 137 8. Jason and Tarka, figthers from Prague's barricades 1945. ~z~ JP
Picture from p. 137 9. Sylva and Ještěrka embellishing the military fortress, 1945. ~z~ DR
Picture from p. 137 10. A "little pearl" diploma, 1946. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 137 11. The new eagle feather decree drawn by Katug, 1944. ~a~ VS, ~z~ AW
A request to renew the activities of the League was submitted to the relevant authorities as early as on 22 May 1945. The official permission was, however, issued only a year later on 18 June 1946 by means of Ministry of Internal Affairs' order. LČSW with headquarters in Prague operated from that day to 4 January 1951 when it was officially disbanded. During these few years of existence, LČSW had 20 tribes registered, and the number of its members never exceeded 500. Nevertheless, its activities were cheerful and enthusiastic as shown by the following photos.
Prague tribes
Picture from p. 138 1. Černí Havrani during an expedition, 1950. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 138 2. A cover of the magazine Liška 2/1946. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 138 3. Camping at Štiřín, 1945. ~z~ SI
Picture from p. 138 4. The tribe Černí Havrani at the river Hřmící řeka, 1951. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 138 5. The chronicle of Černí Havrani, 1949. ~z~ LA
Picture from p. 138 6. Sisseton wandering, 1948 ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 139 7.–8. The activities of Kmen Šelem, 1947. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 139 9. Kmen pražských woodcrafterů at Klínové boudy, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 139 10. The tribe Wahkepute, Medvěd is holding the map. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 139 11.–12. Publications by the tribe Sisseton, 1949. ~z~ AW
With six active tribes, Prague became the biggest center woodcraft of LČSW once again. Kmen pražských woodcrafterů ("Prague Woodcrafters' Tribe") was catching up with studies at newly-opened universities, but its members would also help out as chiefs, fire wardens or patrons of children's tribes. Liščí kmen ("Foxes' Tribe") was shortly led by Ink to be taken over by Kim again, who founded Kmen Černého Vlka ("Black Wolf's Tribe") later on. The tribe Sisseton was led by Pirát (Mahykan), the tribe Wahpekute was led by Brother Tarka, the tribe Kmen Šelem ("The Farine Tribe") was led by Jezevec, and Černí Havrani ("Black Ravens") were led by Had.
Liščí kmen was the most agile in publishing literature; they issued around 20 publications and the magazine Liška ("Fox"), The Sisseton tribe issued three handbooks.
Brno tribes
Picture from p. 140 1. A watercolor painting by Kmen Přírody for LČSW's chronicle. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 140 2. The younger kin of Kmen Ohně in Pouzdřanská step, 1951. ~z~ JC
Picture from p. 140 3.–4. Kmen Přírody heading out to camp at the pond Demák, 1947. ~z~ DR
Picture from p. 140 5. A cover of the magazine Za hlasem tam-tamu ("Following the voice tam-tam") 9–10/1946 {{{3}}}
Picture from p. 140 6. Sylva's LČSW membership card, 1948. ~z~ DR
Picture from p. 141 7. "Sedící Býk" ("A Bull Sitting Down"), a combined-technique drawing from Kmen Ohně's chronicle by Rys, 1947. ~a~ JC, ~z~ JC
Picture from p. 141 8. The campsite kitchen at the pond Holenský rybník, Kmen Ohně 1950. ~z~ JC
Picture from p. 141 9. Kmen Ohně holding a council at Lipový vrch, 1950. {{{3}}}
Picture from p. 141 10. Bedřich Homola – Osamělý Bobr going for an overfall of a scout camp, Zelený potok in Jeseníky 1949. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 141 11. Jiřičky, a girls' tribe, at Walden, 1948. ~z~ RP
The post-war Brno region took pride in as many as four woodcrafter tribes: Kmen Ohně ("Tribe of Fire"), Kmen Přírody ("Tribe of Nature"), kmen Děti divočiny ("Tribe of Children of the Wild") a kmen Jiřičky ("House Martins").
Slovak tribes
Picture from p. 142 1. Migisi's pastel drawing from the Ojibways' chronicle, 1947. ~a~ JPM ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 142 2. The Venédov tribe's PF 1947. ~z~ LA
Picture from p. 142 3. The Ojibways wandering, 1947. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 142 4. The council site at Bielovodská dolina, 1947. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 142 5. The Ojibways are climbing up to the hill Roštún, 1947. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 142 6. Entertainment on the meadow at Walden which woke again after a year, 1948. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 143 7. A cover of the magazine Karibú no. 2/194., ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 143 8. A cover of Migisi's book about camping, 1955. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 143 9. A cover of the Venédov tribe's tracing handbook, 1946. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 143 10. The Ojibways at Walden, 1947. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 143 11. Wandering around the White Carpathians, 1950. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 143 12. A cover of the camp's chronicle, 1948. ~a~ JPM, ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 143 13. Deti hôr getting registered in LČSW, 1948. ~z~ AW
After the war, woodcrafters' activity in Slovakia was considerably weakened. The only exception was the numerous tribe Ojibway from Bratislava, led by Migisi and Lišák. The Venédov tribe operated in Žilina, and the section Deti hôr in Bánská Bystrica.
Other LČSW tribes
Picture from p. 144 1.–2. The Omaha Pilsen tribe's stamp and emblem, 1946. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 144 3. Pastel drawing from the chronicle of the tribe Dakota Červený Kostelec, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 144 4. A council of the Delawares from Chválenice at the meadow Bendojc louka, 1945. ~z~ JS
Picture from p. 144 5. A cover of the magazine Mohykán ("Mohican") no. 3-4/1946. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 144 6.–7. A summer camp of Dakota Červený Kostelec, Podolánky 1946. ~z~ RV
Picture from p. 145 8.–9. Activities of the tribe Hledači pravdy Tábor. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 145 10.–12. Covers of woodcraft handbooks from Letící Sokol's workshop, 1947. ~z~ LA
Picture from p. 145 13. LČSW's camp at Zelený potok. On the left: Sojka from Sisseton, on the right: Veverčák – the Chief of Děti Divočiny Litvínov, 1949. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 145 14. Emil Dlouhý – Malý Jestřáb from Děti Divočiny Litvínov ~z~ MJ
Woodcrafter tribes were, of course, not only in Prague and Brno, but all over the country. These are photos of the activities of tribes in the Pilsen region, Červený Kostelec, Tábor and Litvínov.
Akce zámky ("The Castles Action")
Picture from p. 146 1. Šaman's linocut "The Castles Action", 1995. ~a~ LR, ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 146 2. Children's play in front of the Štiřín castle, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 146 3. The cover of Pitter's paper about The Castles Action, 1947. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 146 4. Přemysl Pitter with the youngest children at Emil Vogl M.D. – Wučiček's medicine house, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 146 5. Pitter at the Lojovice castle, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 147 6. An almanac of a woodcrafter summer camp at Štiřín, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 147 7. LČSW youth led by Ink has set up their teepees in the park at Štiřín, 1945. ~z~ SI
Picture from p. 147 8. Pitter's youth in front of the Štiřín castle, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 147 9. Children at the Olešovice castle, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 147 10. The cover of Pitter's book with woodcraft novels, 2005. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 147 11. A cover of Pitter's magazine Sbratření ("Befriending"), 5/1936. ~z~ AW
Right after the war, Přemysl Pitter, his coworkers from the Milíč Home, and woodcrafters from Družstvo Walden started the extensive project "The Castles Action" that ran for two years. Pitter managed to include three castles left after baron Ringhoffer (Štiřín, Kamenice and Olešovice) and the Lojovice castle in national administration. The aim of the project was to help the children coming back from concentration camps and internment camps for Germans.
At first, its activity was financed especially from the inheritance left after the late Miloš Seifert as well as from financial donations. The sanatoria staff worked for free.
For their educational work they often drew on the thoughts of E. T. Seton – Black Wolf as well as Miloš Seifert – Woowotanna, his most loyal student. In the period 15–28 July 1945, a common summer camp for younger boys from Prague (the tribes Wahpekute, Lišky, Šelmy) under the leadership of František Chudáček – Ink was even held at Štiřín, one of the castles. It contributed to the integration of children from concetration camps into the world where they did not have to be scared for their lives anymore.
What heritage did they leave behind? This was best expressed by Jan Niebauer – Wo in his book U hasnoucího ohníčku ("By the Fire Dying Away"): "They introduced an ideal of people who worked selflessly for children for their entire lives. In fact, they became the perfect heroes."
The cottage Klínové boudy
Picture from p. 148 1. The cottage Klínové boudy, 1947. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 148 2.–4. Kmen Šelem at Klínové boudy, Easter, 1947. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 148 5. Hukwim in a tailcoat and a top-hat, ready for the traditional New Year's Eve masks race, 31. 12. 1947. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 148 6. Kmen pražských woodcrafterů at Klínové boudy. From the left: Wakin, Ink, Katug and Hukwim, 1945. ~z~ AW
On 2 October 1945 already, Jiří Novák – Mýval (Hukwim) provided the League with a cottage in Volský důl, at Klínové boudy no. 83. LČSW would then go to the Giant Mountains for many meetings, trainings and winter camps.
LČSW's last event at Klínové boudy was a winter camp in the period 25 December 1948 – 5 January 1949. Soon after that, Mýval had to hand the base in to National Administration.
The last day at Klínová bouda:
On the fifth day of the Snow Month we were leaving... We were unusually sad as we knew that we would not come back here; at the same time, however, we were convinced that we would create just as beautiful and cozy conditions in any other cottage in any other mountain range. Therefore, the saying "a low cottage knocked about by the chief" (Czech: "chaloupka nízká, šéf do ní tříská") will not perish...
Woodcraft Rangers (WR)
Picture from p. 149 1. Woodcraft Rangers' council, cca 1930. ~z~ WR
Picture from p. 149 2. Warriors with scarves, 1936. ~z~ WR
Picture from p. 149 3. Seton and the chiefs of Woodcraft Rangers, 1936. ~z~ WR
Picture from p. 149 4. WR youth with Walt Disney, cca 1955. ~z~ WR
Picture from p. 149 5. Woodcraft Rangers' leadership, cca 1960. ~z~ WR
The Western Rangers were started in Los Angeles around 1917 by Harry C. James. In 1934 they were renamed Woodcraft Rangers. At that time it was a western branch of WLA, which was, of course, adopting E. T. Seton's entire organizational structure and methodology too.
After the Black Wolf's death in 1946, Woodcraft Rangers become WLA's successor organization. Unfortunately, Woodcraft Rangers would gradually abandon the ideas and traditions of woodcraft throughout the following decades.
Ladislav Vodák - Letící sokol, Přemysl Pitter
Picture from p. 150 L. Vodák, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 150 L. Vodák in Šumava, 1946. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 151 P. Pitter, 1945. ~z~ PM
Picture from p. 151 Pitter, Fierz, 1963. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 152 Watercolor painting "Stoupání na horu" ("Ascending a Mountain") with text inserted by Rys, Kmen Ohně's Chronicle 1951. ~a~ JC, ~z~ JC
- Ladislav Vodák
- (*21. 7. 1921, Hartmanice – † 24. 9. 2001, Sušice)
The Chief of the tribe Hledači pravdy from Tábor; his nickname was Letící Sokol.
After the war, Vodák contacted Miloš Seifert's brother-in-law and sister (the Pánek family) who donated Woowotanna's many unique materials (the chronicles of Děti Živěny and Kmen Rudých jazyků, correspondence, personal scarf, manuscripts, etc.) to the renewed LČSW through him. Letící Sokol also found the place in Šumava where Seifert camped in 1917 and 1924–25.
He spent most of his life in Šumava where he worked for the state nature conservation. He was a member of the group Ochranářský průzkum Šumavy ("Protective Exploration of Šumava") together with RNDr. Ing. Eliška Nováková, DrSc., and RNDr. Pavel Trpák; based on their work, Šumava was declared a protected landscape area in 1963. In the 1980s he managed to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx to Šumava. At that time, he intensively supported woodcrafters' activities at the camps at Kepelský potok in Šumava. He successfuly got the peak Křemelná renamed Mt E. T. Seton in 1990.
- Přemysl Pitter
- (*21. června 1895, Praha-Smíchov – † 15. února 1976, Curych, Švýcarsko)
A Czech Protestantism-oriented chaplain, writer, journalist, radical pacifist, and social worker. He founded the Milíč Home in Žižkov (today known as the Milíč Home Kindergarten). For a long time he was a friend of Miloš Seifert's, one of the contributors to the magazine Sbratření ("Befriending") and a benefactor of the Milíč Home (he left it more than CZK 200,000 in his will). In the Milíč Home, a woodcrafter tribe was run in the 1930s by Miloslav Vavrda with the help of Ferdinand Krch. After World War II, Pitter saved hundreds of children regardless of their nationality and religion with his "The Castles Action". Many woodcrafters were his colleagues, e.g. Miloslav Vavrda, Zdeněk Teichman, Vojtěch Trnka, and in particular Emil Vogl, M.D. Přemysl Pitter often cooperated with LČSW as a lecturer in forest schools and, out of respect to his deceased friend and coworker Miloš Seifert, he became a member of LČSW himself after the war.
In 1951 he migrated to West Germany where he worked for the World Council of Churches and BBC. He rendered pastoral and social services at the camp Valka near Nuremberg for refugees from the so-called Eastern Bloc. From 1963 he lived in Switzerland, the homeland of his life partner and colleague Olga Fierz. Together they published the exile magazine Hovory s pisateli ("Talks with Writers"). In 1964, Yad Vashem (a memorial of victims and heroes of holocaust in Israel) declared him Righteous Among the Nations (a title for non-Jewish people awarded for exceptional deeds during holocaust). During Prague Spring in 1968, he was active again and, trying to renew LLM, he even considered participation in the Council in Křemešník. Because of the intervention of the Soviet troops, he unfortunately did not manage to get back to his homeland.
