Jaroslav Marcha

The Jaroslav Marcha memorial plaque honors one of the most notable natives of Babice nad Svitavou, a small Moravian village where a writer, journalist and politician who published under this pen name was born and to which he remained connected throughout his life. His real name was Dominik Nejezchleb-Marcha, and the village where he first saw the light of day now holds two separate places of remembrance for him.

Who was Jaroslav Marcha?

Dominik Nejezchleb-Marcha was born on 26 May 1880 in Babice nad Svitavou, then part of Austria-Hungary. He began his professional life in journalism, working as an editor of agricultural magazines between 1907 and 1910. From 1910 he served as secretary of the Agrarian Party in Moravia and Silesia, a role that launched him into national politics. He died on 29 December 1961 in Brno at the age of 81 and was buried in the Central Cemetery in Brno.

What was his political career?

Between 1918 and 1935 Marcha sat in parliament as a deputy, and from 1935 to 1939 he held a mandate as senator. For most of his career he belonged to the Republican Party of Farmers and Peasants, commonly known as the Agrarian Party. In December 1938, amid the turbulent months before the occupation, he joined the Party of National Unity.

What did he write?

Alongside his political work, Marcha wrote literary pieces on rural, hunting and political themes, subjects closely tied to his own background in agricultural journalism and village life. His literary standing was recognized by peers: from 1936 to 1941 he chaired the Moravian Writers' Circle (Moravské kolo spisovatelů), one of the region's more significant writers' associations of the interwar period.

How is he commemorated in Babice nad Svitavou?

The village preserves two distinct memorials. The first plaque, created by František Pokorný, was unveiled in 1990 on the house where Marcha was born. The second was installed much later, in December 2011, on the fiftieth anniversary of his death, at the Alexandrov lookout tower, also within the boundaries of Babice nad Svitavou. This second plaque carries an extra layer of meaning for forestry enthusiasts: it became the 77th monument of the Forestry Pantheon of the Masaryk Forest School Enterprise in Křtiny (Školní lesní podnik Masarykův les Křtiny), a network of memorial sites dedicated to people who shaped Moravian forestry and its landscape.

Why visit this spot?

Babice nad Svitavou is a small village, but thanks to its two memorial plaques it earns a place on the map for anyone interested in interwar Czechoslovak agrarian politics or regional Moravian literature. It also makes for a natural combination: a walk up to the Alexandrov lookout tower paired with a stop at the birthplace of a figure who helped shape national politics for more than two decades.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jaroslav Marcha in reality? It was the pen name of Dominik Nejezchleb-Marcha, a Moravian writer, journalist and politician born in 1880 in Babice nad Svitavou.

Where in Babice nad Svitavou are the plaques dedicated to him? One plaque, from 1990, is on his birth house; the second, from 2011, stands at the Alexandrov lookout tower.

What political office did he hold? He served as a member of parliament from 1918 to 1935 and then as a senator from 1935 to 1939, mainly representing the Agrarian Party.

What did he write about? He wrote on rural, hunting and political themes and chaired the Moravian Writers' Circle for five years.

Where is he buried? At the Central Cemetery in Brno, where he died in 1961.