Czech Travelers, Enterpreneurs and Advisors in Ethiopia, 1918-1937: a Preliminary

Study
Author(s): Jan Záhořík and Jan Dvořáček
Source: Journal of Ethiopian Studies , December, 2014, Vol. 47 (December, 2014), pp. 53-
68
Published by: Institute of Ethiopian Studies

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44376223

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 Czech Travelers, Enterpreneurs and Advisors in Ethiopia,
1918-1937: a Preliminary Study

Jan Záhořík and Jan Dvořáček1

Despite a very long, fruitful and multi-level history of relations between

Ethiopia and the Czech lands2, little or nothing has ever been written on this
subject. Except for a few articles or other materials written in Czech, the
English written academic literature lacks any kind of broader perspective of
the Czechoslovak-Ethiopian relations or accounts of Czechs or Slovaks living
and working in Ethiopia. Despite this, relations between the two countries
have been extraordinary, long-lasting and fruitful. The present study tends to
provide one of the first accounts written in English regarding Czech travelers,
advisors and enterpreneurs in Ethiopia in the interwar period, i. e. between the
establishment of former Czechoslovakia and the effective Italian Occupation
of Ethiopia. The study is based on archival materials from Czech archives in
Prague and Brno as well as primary Czech sources concerning this subject.
Interestingly enough, plenty of materials have been written about Ethiopia in
Czech already before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in
1918. This shows a great interest of Czech public in Ethiopia and traveling
into Africa or the so-called Orient. While, for instance, pre-Soviet Russia was
interested in Ethiopia due to a number of reasons, primarily religious and
economic,3 for Czechs, on the other hand, both during the Austro-Hungarian
Empire and independent Czechoslovakia, it was a matter of individual interest
and effort being invested in Ethiopia.

Due to the presence of the Czech Franciscan missionary Václav Remedius

Prutký in Ethiopia (1751-1753), followed by other travelers at the end of the

1 Jan Záhořík holds Ph.D. in African History from Charles University, Prague (2008) and currently
serves as the head of the Center of African Studies at the University of Western Bohemia in Pilsen,
Czech Republic. Jan Dvořáček is a Ph.D. candidate at the Center of African Studies, University of
Western Bohemia
By the Czech lands we mean contemporary Czech Republic, former Czechoslovakia and the earlier part
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
See e.g. Czesław Jeśman (1958): The Russians in Ethiopia. An Essay in Futility. London: Chatto and
Windus.; See also Alexander Bulatovich (2000): Ethiopia through Russian Eyes: Country in
Transition, 1896-1898. Transi. By E. Setzler. Lawrenceville: Red Sea Press; This book was published
in Czech already in 1903 under the title With army of black Christians (Prague: Dr. Eduard
Grégrasyn).

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54

19th century, Czech lan

Africa country. Václav
Antonín Salem, was a Cz
Highlands and left his w
across Ethiopia were un
Bruce's Travels to Disc
decades later and which
European travelers to ex
account is of great valu
geographical state of Et
Czech in the 1930s6 and
in 1991. 7

Among those who continued with the work started by Prutký, was Dr. Antonín
Stecker, born 1855 in Josefův Důl, who from his early years was interested in
natural sciences and geography and continued in his career exploring these
subjects. His travels to the Ethiopian Highlands constituted part of Gerhard
Rohlfs expedition to the Horn of Africa in 1878.8 One of the main
contributions of this expedition and Stecker's heritage was the first detailed
map of the Lake Tana and its neighborhood which was intended to serve
geographical purposes.9

Already in 1897, a book entitled "Nations of Africa" was published by

Jaroslav Vlach. In this work, Ethiopia was depicted generally as a Christian
island in Africa where Christianity co-existed with many other beliefs and
superstitions. Surprisingly, Vlach uses the term "Oromo" instead of the
previously popular, though pejorative "Galla" that prevailed in Anglophone

4 James Arrowsmith-Brown (1991): Prutky's Travels in Ethiopia and Other Countries. London: The
Hakluyt Society.
James Bruce (1790): Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, see also Richard Pankhurst (1982):
History of Ethiopian Towns. From the Middle Ages to the Early Nineteenth Century. Wiesbaden:
Franz Steiner Verlag, po. 168-169.
6 Jáchym Bohumil Procházka (1937): Čeští františkáni vHabeši [Czech Franciscans in Abyssinia].
Praha: Vyšehrad.
7 Arrowsmith-Brown 1991,
See e.g. Josef Kořenský (1924): Afrika. Kulturní obrázky z celého zemědílu [Africa. Cultural images
from the Whole Continent] .Praha: A. Storch, p. 137.
Jindřich Dlouhý (1946): Zapomenutý český cestovatel [Forgotten Czech Traveler]. Praha:
Samcovoknihkupectví v Praze, pp. 134-135. ; See also BairuTafla (1981): Ethiopia and Germary.
Cultural, Political, and Economic Relations, 1871-1936. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, pp. 54-57.

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literature until 1974. 10 Trad
he compared the Abyssinian
Already at the end of the 19
imported from Czech lands
Ethiopian markets along with

Shortly after the creation of

extend its relations with ma
had left for Ethiopia in the
and also in other cities like D
a rather vague information
was relatively easier as Eth
there did not require tha
Czechoslovak travelers vis
territories "discovered" by C
the 1920s and 1930s, the mai
agriculture and the debates a
travelers brought back to th
aspects and problems of ag
19

growing importance of Af
Czechoslovakia's economy.

During the epoch of Austro-

explorer and traveler who sp
1923, he launched his "camp
a country, which he claimed
beginning of 1924, more th
Ethiopia to settle there. But t
their new "country". From

10 Jaroslav Vlach (1897): Národové afr

pp. 65-77.
"Ibid., p. 74.
This was the case of a presentation given by a traveller Vilém Němec organized by the Department for
emigration and colonization affairs on February 25, 1930. Vilém Němec outlined problems of
accessibility of fertile land for foreign emigrants and described agricultural land in Ethiopia as
generally poor, though with a certain potential that would be increased by sufficient technologies.;
National Archive, Prague, NA - ČÚZ 104, Č.j. 777, PřednáSkacestovatele Viléma Němcepořádáná
Ústavem pro em. akol. stykypři M. A. P. v Českétechnice 2511.30. Referát Aloise Krejčího.; Three
years later (October 25, 1933) Engineer Ludvík Kalvoda had a presentation on "the Contemporary
Ethiopia" organized by the Oriental Institute in Prague, where he talked about an import company,
which he had established in Addis Ababa.

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^

the most significant propagator of "colonial settlem

his numerous books, Czechoslovaks learned a lot a
books was entitled Under the Burning Sun : a
Expedition conducted in 1899-1900 through the Ea
11

the Italian Colony of Eritrea.

Shortly after Czechoslovakia's independence in 1918, Vilém Němec offered

his service to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claiming that he was willing to
serve as a consul for Ethiopia, Eritrea and Hejaz. To the Czechoslovak's
foreign policy, Ethiopia was far from its primary interests as it first had to
develop official contacts with other neighboring European countries and the
then world great powers. Němec did not give up his ideas about developing a
colony in Ethiopia, and his persistence on this matter was not regarded as
credible by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.14 Moreover, Czechoslovak
"colonization" of Ethiopia was far from an ideal issue as Prague for that
matter had no embassy in Addis Ababa. During the 1920s, its citizens had to
rely on the French Legation which was quite complicated by the fact that
almost no one among the Czechs spoke French.15 However, the Czechoslovak
Ministry of Foreign Affairs had discussed the possibility of opening a
consulate in Ethiopia in the 1920s, but due to the strong presence of French
Legation in Addis Ababa, such endeavor did not materialize. In 1935, the
issue of opening a consulate in Ethiopia had begun to attract the Czechoslovak
Ministry of Foreign Affairs as it would also supposedly improve economic
relations. In 1935, there existed six foreign embassies in Addis Ababa (French,
British, German, American, Italian, and Belgian) plus two consulates - Greek
and Egyptian. Finally, it was the French envoy in Addis Ababa who persuaded
the Czechs not to open an Embassy in Ethiopia. Surprisingly, it was in 1937
that the first Czechoslovak consulate was opened, by then in Italian occupied
Ethiopia.16

13 Vilém Němec (1920): Pod žhavým sluncem. Cestopisné črty z výpravy konané v letech 1899-1920
východním Sudanem, Habeíi a italskou kolonii Erytreou [Under the Burning Sun. Traveler's account
of an Expedition conducted in 1899-1900 through the Eastern Sudan, Abyssinia and the Italian Colony
of Eritrea], Praha: NakladatelstvíŠolc a Šimáček.
14 Karel Silpoch (2000): Etiopie a Československo mezi válkami (1918-1938) [Ethiopia and
Czechoslovakia between wars (191 8-1938). Moderni dějiny 8, pp: 54.
Ibid., p. 55.
1 Jaroslav Olša jr. (2005): CeskoslovenSti diplomaté v černé Africe, 1918-1955. Počátky sítě budováni
československých zastupitelských úřadů na jih od Sahary [Czechoslovak Diplomats in Sub-
SaharanAfrica], Mezinárodni vztáhy Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 94-95.

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In order to know the Eth
covered in the printed medi
were still under European
features of all newspaper a
1920's and the 1930's was
conditions of Ethiopia,
"primitiveness" being th
"Abyssinia is a country of
is understandable that the p
One such example of an "et
List : "The Abyssinian popul
yellow to the dark ebony.
whose origin there are v
Abyssinian tribes is the rei
of the land."17

Czech Entrepreneurs in E

Life in Ethiopia, especiall

Czechs who had to struggle
with diseases such as malar
Dire Dawa (see Table 1) die
Nevertheless, his sons we
business and they were also
material into Ethiopia inclu
in 1928. This was the begin
• ■ 18
this specific type of ammunition to Ethiopia. • ■

17 Poledni list, 16th December, 1934.

Chmiel, Juraj and Jaroslav Olša, jr. (2007): Češti obchodníci a řem
[Czech traders and workers in inter-war Abyssinia]. Krajanské panorá
(1998): Haile Se llassie I: The Formative Years 1892-1936. Lawrencevi

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58

Table. 1: Czechoslovaks in Ethiop

Ludvík Kalvo
daughters)
František Stěpančík Employee of Mr. Kalvoda
Karel Peterka (with his wife) Owner of butchery
František Mezník Employee of Mr. Peterka
Mr. Heliger (with his wife and son) Mechanic in a power statio
Vojtěch Kalvoda (with his wife and two Employee of the National B
children)
Ernest Kametz (with his wife and two Architect, Ministry of Public Works
children)
W. Kametz Architect, Ministry of Public Works
Dire Dawa

František Vacek Clerk, National Bank

Alois Vacek Exporter of wild game
Antonín Šrámek (with his wife and three Owner of th
children) shop
Krob Family Owners of "Frères Krob" shop

Antonín Franc
children) Arussi
Mr. Vokáěek Hunter without permanent
settlement

Unidentified family Living in Harar

Source: NA, Czechoslovak foreign department 104, c. 32, 33 1 1/35, 21th Novembe

The Czech journalist and traveler, Viktor Mussik, who had spent so
Ethiopia at the beginning of the 1930s was a witness of the corona
Emperor Haile Selassie I; and wrote about a community of Cze
Hungarian and German citizens that had settled in Addis Aba
occasion, he mentioned a certain Mr. Konvalinka who sent horses
the Emperor's stable. Accordingly, he narrated a story of how twe
oats were stolen by servants for making injera which resulted in
departure of Mr. Konvalinka from Ethiopia.19 After a long proce
Mussik successfully interviewed Emperor Haile Selassie I in hi
Palace. During the 1930s, Czechoslovakia did not have its own

Viktor Mussik (1935): Výlet do středověku [A Trip to the Middle-Age

Československágrafickáunie, pp. 33-4.

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 Addis Ababa and the Frenc
as they used to do in the 19
Imperial Palace, had to visit
fix an appointment to mee
staying in Addis Ababa, th
metropolis with dozens of
Addis Ababa instead had
ocean of "tukuls, native
metal, full of dirt, lice, dis
needed, from grocery stor

Some of the Czechs work

Karel Peterka, who had op
accounts on the butcher's b
developed and the quality o
own farm for cattle. It
Czechoslovakia and German
Ethiopia.21

Among those with significant interest in Ethiopia was the businessman Ervin
Mandelik, who had sought to secure concessions for his planned cotton and
banana farms in Ethiopia.22 As one of the relatively industrialized countries of
the interwar period, Czechoslovakia was determined to open new trade routes
to Ethiopia by sending engineers, merchants, craftsmen and advisors.23 A
letter of paramount importance was written by Ervin Mandelik to the
Ethiopian Emperor, in which the Czechoslovak businessman gave his accounts
on agriculture and and his advice to him.24 Mandelik, in this letter, describes
Ethiopia as a country rich in natural resources, and that all the necessary
development needed to originate in the agricultural sphere. For Mandelik, the
only way to develop Ethiopia's economy was through the intervention of
European advisors and instructors who would teach and instruct Ethiopians

20 Ibid.. o. 21.
21 Zdeněk Šípek (1993): Čeští uzenáři a Etiopie [Czech Pork-Butchers and Ethiopia]. Češi v cizině 7, p.
158.
22 In 1929, Mandelik discussed his possibilities with Austrian Dr. Weizinger, a former European
languages teacher of Ras Tatari. In February 1929, Mandelik stayed in Ethiopia four months to
discuss his plans with Ethiopian partners. NA - ČÚZ 104, Č. j. 1379, Habeš. Akciapánave l'kostatkára
M andělíka.
23 NA -ČUZ 104, Č.j. 1450.21. V. 1929.
NA - ČÚZ 104, Č. j. 1450. Date unknown, there is only a copy of the original version, which is
missing.

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^

until they could become experts in the field. The

itself by employing qualified European instructors
who will gain qualification and practice in Europe
perfect economy in different parts of your country,
your nation may gain knowledge in rational econom

Mandelik's vision regarding Ethiopia was based

doors to foreign investors, and he being from Cze
the Emperor that Czechoslovakia "with its geograp
of its inhabitants cannot ever have colonial intent
looking for a suitable market for their indus
opportunities helpful for their peasantry. An agr
countries was needed in order to implement the p
And this happened only in 1934 when the Czec
signed.

More than a dozen Czech businessmen were in Ethiopia in early 1930s, among
whom, Karel Peterka was an owner of a butcher's shop in Addis Ababa, and
also initiated an export company focused on bovine entrails. It was later
followed by Kalvoda Bros, company owned by Ludvík Kalvoda with the help
of his brothers Jan and Vojtěch.27

In a letter dated November 11, 1935, Kalvoda wrote about an increasing wave
of solidarity support coming to Ethiopia from all over the world, including
offers for guns and other military equipment. One of the countries offering the
best price was Czechoslovakia, but soon after that, on November 14, Lithuania
had offered an even cheaper load of weapons.28 Kalvoda had carefully
assessed the situation in Ethiopia and stated that Ethiopia at that moment was
absolutely running out of financial sources. All the money from the League
used to be spent on military equipment. His comment on the public opinion in
Ethiopia in regard to Haile Sellassie, in particular, is quite important to be
quoted:
"The political situation still remains unchanged. It is rumored that
the position of Haile Sellassie begins to be unstable. The Emperor

25 Ibid.
26 Ibid.
Zdeněk Štípek (1993): Čeští uzenáři a Etiopie [Czech pork-butchers and Ethiopia]. Češi v cizině 7, pp.
158-9.
28 NA - ČÚZ 104, č. j. 3458, November 16, 1935.

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 is not popular among the
the throne, who does no
is still suspect of collabo
have a mortal aversion to
money saved in Europe
displeasure by chiefs an
about taxes they have to
money to his national ban

Kalvoda further commente

that Lej Iyassu, Emperor
his support seems to have
an enemy of the white rac
report from Ethiopia, Šrám
towards Europeans and acco
that those Europeans who h
and thus people have to treat

Weapons Export to Ethio

Being one of the relatively

period, Czech industrial p
their reliability and hi
Czechoslovak-Ethiopian eco
the first years after the e
trend changed after Ethiop
in 1923, and after Ras Ta
Europe in 1924 in an attem
and partners.

Despite these efforts, the

situation which in turn w
1933. In a letter sent by M
that when "it comes to loca
Europe as European intere

29 NA - ČÚZ 104, e. j. 3458, Novem

Ibid.
31 NA-ČÚZ 104, C. j. 33 11, Novem

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62

has decreased and coffee is ex

Kalvoda foresaw the right tim
Ethiopia as did one Czech farme
alleged insufficient conditions for
letter, one can perceive the w
Europeans and their high expecta
to foreign capital and foreign inv
land and property in Ethiopia so
plans.34

Mr. Kalvoda was also instrumental in weapons export to Ethiopia as he

monitored the situation and due to his contacts with then Ethiopian officials,
he was very helpful for the Czechoslovak weapon company Zbrojovka Brno.
Due to the absence of a Czechoslovak Embassy in Ethiopia at that time, and as
already noted due to the French control of the port of Djibouti, the process
became bureaucratic.35

In 1933, the first concrete results ensued in the weapon trade between the two
countries as Mr Belatchew Yadeq visited the factory of Zbrojovka Brno and
saw the production of ZH 32 automatic rifles as well as ZB 26 and 30 light
machine guns. The Ethiopian representative was quite interested in these
guns36 but there was a competition from the Belgian side. The Belgian weapon
industry was well established in Ethiopia having several Belgian advisors
serving in the Ethiopian military forces promoting Belgian weapons.37 It was
also Belgium that first asked the tripartite powers to permit the sale of its
weapons to Ethiopia followed by Switzerland and Czechoslovakia. Weapons
were only one part of Emperor Haile Selassie's effort to modernize the army,
the second step relied on the European advisors, and experts that mostly came

32Moravskýzeroskýarchiv (MZA), fond H 864 Zbrojovka, a. s., Brno, karton 742, Inv. číslo 618/25.
Letter of Mr. Kalvoda, not dated, p. 1.
Ibid., p. 6.
Ibid., p. 6.
35MZA, fond H 864 Zbrojovka, a. s., Brno, karton 742, Inv. číslo 618/25. Dovoz zbraní do Habeše.
Praha, 26thNovember, 1930.
TvlZA, fond H 864 Zbrojovka, a. s., Brno, karton 742, Inv. číslo 618/25. Notes from the visit of
BelatchewYadeq.Praha, 17th November, 1933.
MZA, fond H 864 Zbrojovka, a. s., Brno, karton 742, Inv. číslo 618/25. Notes from the interview
between Mr. Outrata and Mr. Kalvoda on the possibility of weapon trade with Abyssinia.

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from Belgium, Sweden,
Czechoslovakia, with the in

According to archival docum

the Ethiopian governmen
purchase of weapons on 26
January, 1935. The shipm
heavy barrel of 22 mm cal
caliber, 2 million Mauser
with 7,92 mm caliber, an
Another cargo sent from
government; and by the su
forced to stop the weapon
between Italy and Ethiopia

Adolf Parlesák and the It

One of the most significan

Adolf Parlesák (1908-1981).
countries and stayed in Eth
during the Italian-Ethiopian
the invasion. Adolf Parles
important Czech travelers i
as an adventurer first trav
(including Austria, German
Turkey, Syria, Palestine and
journey together with his
Middle East, along the rive
Then they continued their
the Hodeida port and on a
their journey in Aden befor
second-time sojourn in Eth

38 Harold G. Marcus (1998): Hail

RedSeaPress, p. 72.
39 MZA, fond H 864 Zbrojovka, a. s
government. Brno, 1st February 193
40 Karel Šilpoch (2000): Etiopie
Czechoslovakia between wars (1918
Adolf Parlesák [1948] (1989): Habeš
~ Tamtéž, p. 9.

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64

Haile Selassie I. His famous m

odysea ) - remains as one of the m

The ability to speak different la

Kassa, one of the superior comm
front. Adolf Parlesák offered
training part of the Ethiopian ar
advisor, his input was limited t
approval of the Ethiopian militar
Ethiopia (1929-1930), when Parle
had witnessed mounting Italian f
The Italian ambitions to conq
account of meeting an Italian of
"whole year they bring loads of
amount of it that it could easily
but possibly the whole of A

Interestingly enough, the roots o

the famous Czech scholar and tr
maneuverings of Great Britain.
political interests, the British,
action. Musil supported his argum
their trade interests to British
consulate in the town of Mega in
Italian Somalia had lost their
particular, became totally irrelevan

Though well informed about the

the Ethiopian army, Adolf Parles
seriousness and poise. Until the
stood alongside his Ethiopian c
and moral support. His service in
from Emperor Haile Selassie I. P
move to exile shortly days be
witness of the Emperor's fare

43 Adolf Parlesák [1948] (1989): Habešská

44 Adolf Parlesák [1948] (1989): Habešská
45 Alois Musil (1934): Lev zelartene Judova

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 military ship. The w
war situation. The E
being accompanied
officers.46

Parlesák's military mission during the Italian-Ethiopian war lasted only a

couple of months as he was forced to leave Addis Ababa after it fell to the
Italians. In his work "An Abyssinian Odyssey" he gives some valuable and
accounts on the condition of the Ethiopian army facing the modern troops of
the Italians: "After all, most of the soldiers cannot even dress themselves
properly, with pleasure they wear their cartridge belt under their shirts, if they
have some, and then they got a gun over their shoulders like a stick.... First I
had to divide lower rank officers into groups according to the numbers of their
own soldiers. From their guards and sub-chiefs I then created squads and
companies so that they are seemingly equal in number of soldiers. It took long
hours until I managed to bring order into an overall chaos on the training field,
and to persuade the Ethiopian soldiers, used to walk here and there with no
order, to march in united groups."47

Parlesák, like Viktor Mussik, had opportunities to meet the Emperor, although
under very different conditions. He was a frequent visitor of the Emperor in
Addis Ababa and knew the Imperial Palace very well. However in the first
months of the war, the Emperor had to move to a secret location, a cave hewn
into the rocks, where no signs of Imperial luxury were in evidence. The
Emperor was dressed in the uniform of an Ethiopian marshal and Parlesák was
surprised by "the Emperor's noble calm, despite the catastrophic news coming
during the previous weeks, which would have devastated men in much better
physical condition".48

Conclusions

Czechoslovak relations with Ethiopia had entered a new phase after the
Second World War and especially after Emperor Haile Selassie's visit to
Prague in 1959. Nevertheless, it was the inter-war period that brought the first
and very intense contacts between the two countries. Key personalities such as

46 Adolf Parlesák [19481 (1989): Habešská odyseal An Abyssinian Odyssey] Praha: Panorama, p. 252.
Ibid., pp. 91-92.
Ibid., 238.

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66

Adolf Parlesák and Ervín Mande

among Czech travelers, adventur
The number of Czechs working
not high, but due to a non-agre
usually well received in all pla
Dawa and Harar. In 1937, E
Czechoslovak citizens as a resu
Czechs, expelled by the Italian g
is no more a Czechoslovak, n
castaways mid victims of the It
not completely true as two Cze
settled in Dembi Dolio), moved
to establish their own coffee fa
Italians and spent the remainin
Sea Coast due to their alleged an

After the Second World War, t

entered Ethiopia. The first ex
Miroslav Zikmund, who original
enter Ethiopia and the Somalila
called Lambaréné bringing me
Gabonese hospital spent signi
documenting the last years of I
beyond the scope of this arti
advisors in Ethiopia is highlig
Parlesák's account on the Ital
Amharic and has become ver
community.51

49 Chmiel, Juraj and Jaroslav OlSa, jr. (20

traders and workers in inter-warAbyssinia
Šípek, Zdeněk (1988): Čechoslováci v Et
Ethiopia]. Češi v cizině 3, p. 264.
Discussions with several historians at Jim
We thank Ahmed Hassen (AAU) and Abdi
their comments.

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 Bibliography

Arrowsmith-Brown, Jam
Countries. London: The Ha
Bairu Tafla, 1981. Ethiopi
Relations, 1871-1936. Wie
Bruce, James, 1790. Trav
Edinburgh.
Bulatovich, Alexander, 2000. Ethiopia through Russian Eyes: Country in
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