The evening was moderated by the newly arrived Deputy Head of Mission, Aleš Optarný.

With the audience of around thirty five guests Ondřej Kundra shared wit us his memories of encountering first a photo of Vendulka, than relatives of its author, Jan Lukas, and finally interviewing Ms Vendulka herself, a process which led to publishing of the touching story on the WW2, the Holocaust period and events that followed.

Among our special guests there were the President of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, Ms. Annette Wildgoose and Vendulka’s relative, Mr. Tony Horava.

As a part of the book presentation the attendees had a chance to see the interesting exhibition of Jan Lukas photographs,  accompanied by the texts of Ondřej Kundra, titled "The Second Life of Vendulka V."

 

Famed Czech photographer Jan Lukas snapped an offhand portrait of a twelve-year-old Vendulka Vogl in March 1943. A friend of the Vogls, Lukas was saying goodbye to the family, who were soon to leave Prague for a concentration camp. The photograph almost didn’t see the light of day as Lukas knew that if the Nazis found it on him, he could wind up inthe camps as well. But the image was eventually developed and came to symbolize the Holocaust and humanize its victims. Seventy years after this famous picture was taken, investigative journalist Ondřej Kundra discovered that, despite all odds, Vendulka Vogl had survived the camps of Terezín, Auschwitz, and Christianstadt, and was in fact still alive and living in the United States. Kundra persuaded her to tell the remarkable story surrounding the photograph: her survival, her later decision to flee the Communist regime for America, and how she later reconnected with Jan Lukas, maintaining a lifelong friendship.

The book was translated into English by Gerald Turner). The English translation of the book was also presented in the USA and in Toronto by the author.

Ondřej Kundra currently works in the Respekt weekly as a deputy managing editor. He became a stable team member in 2002. In his texts, he is focusing on corruption, Russian and Chinese espionage and aggression. Several times he was awarded with the Novinářská křepelka award for his investigative work. Kundra also cooperates with the international investigative team Bellingcat and has published several books – in 2014 he published the book My Wonderful Life on well-known art benefactress Meda Mládková. The titles Putinovi agenti (Putin’s Agents), Můj syn terorista (My Terrorist Son) and Novičok nebo kulka (Novichok or bullet) are his latest releases.