MUDr. Josef Bartoň

MUDr. Josef Bartoň is a memorial site in Pardubice honoring a pediatrician and resistance fighter executed by German occupation authorities in 1942. Who was he, and why does the city still remember him today?

Who was Josef Bartoň?

Josef Bartoň was born on 25 August 1899 in Morašice. He graduated from the gymnasium in Chrudim in 1917 and, eight years later, completed his medical studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague. After finishing his studies he worked at a children's clinic in Prague before moving to Pardubice, where he opened a private practice as a pediatrician. It was in Pardubice that he built both his professional and civic life, co-founding the local branch of the Masaryk League against Tuberculosis at a time when the disease still claimed many lives, especially among children, in the region.

What role did he play in the resistance?

The outbreak of the Second World War and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia found Bartoň continuing his medical work in Pardubice while quietly becoming involved in clandestine activity. He joined ÚVOD (Ústřední vedení odboje domácího), one of the principal underground organizations coordinating Czech resistance within the occupied Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. He also represented the petition committee "Věrni zůstaneme" ("We shall remain faithful"), which brought together people opposed to collaboration with the occupying power. Over time his involvement deepened further as he began cooperating with the Silver A parachute group, one of the British-organized missions sent into occupied Czechoslovakia to support the domestic resistance and maintain contact with the exile government in London.

How did his life come to an end?

Resistance work carried a mortal risk, one that grew far more acute after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in May 1942, when the occupying authorities unleashed a wave of brutal reprisals against real and suspected resistance members. Josef Bartoň was arrested by the Gestapo on 20 June 1942. Less than two weeks later, on 2 July 1942, he was executed at Pardubice's Zámeček site, which became, during this period, one of the grimmest symbols of German terror against Czech civilians and resistance members alike.

Where can traces of him still be found today?

The memory of Josef Bartoň and his wife Emilie, who was likewise involved in resistance activity, is preserved in several places around Pardubice. A memorial plaque dedicated to the couple hangs on the house where they lived, on Smilova street. Near the entrance to the hospital on Kyjevská street stands another plaque commemorating hospital staff executed between 1939 and 1945, listing MUDr. Josef Bartoň among them. His name also appears on a granite block that forms part of a monument to the victims of both world wars in Stojice, near the local cemetery and church.

Frequently asked questions

What was Josef Bartoň's profession? He was a pediatrician who ran a private practice in Pardubice and co-founded the local Masaryk League against Tuberculosis.

Which resistance group did he work with? He was a member of ÚVOD, represented the petition committee "Věrni zůstaneme," and cooperated with the Silver A parachute group.

When and where was he executed? He was arrested on 20 June 1942 and executed at the Pardubice Zámeček site on 2 July 1942.

Where are the memorials to Bartoň located in Pardubice? Memorial plaques can be found on the house on Smilova street and at the entrance to the hospital on Kyjevská street, and his name also appears on the war memorial in Stojice.