English Translation

2/40 alleged servants and civil servants, who began his career as an official and became the founder of industry. He celebrated great triumphs at the anniversary exhibition in Prague in 1891, which was a milestone in the purely Czech economic development. In this context, where I highlight the capacity of the čechi people to entrepreneurship, I may well call our very great, unfortunately too early-dead industrial founder Thomas Bata, the shoe manufacturer from Zlín, a man of undeniable world format. His joy in creative work was depressing. Nothing characterizes it better than a remark he once made in a close circle: "Ten times in a row I want to live and start every time under the most unfavourable conditions, as was the case in my present life." I would like to refer to one last example, which at the same time proves how glowing people's feelings can be productive. I ask myself not to misunderstand and not to assume any secondary intentions when I tell the stories. I am thinking of my late old friend Klement, the well-known founder of the first automobile factory in Jungbunzlau in Austria, which is now run by the Škodawerken. He, too, was from the poorest family and has developed his knowledge through bee fleece as a bookstore helper. In his free time, he paid homage to cycling, which was fashion at the time, and managed to get a bike from Seidel Naumann. This company had a representation in Bodenbach. Once Klement had to order a spare part there and received an answer to his Czech letter: "If you want to return with us, you have to use a language that is understandable to us. This unfriendly answer became fateful for Klement and became the direct reason for a factory foundation. Klement combined with the capable mechanic Laurin to become the well-known company Laurin-Klement and began the production of bicycles. Early on he began the manufacture of motorcycles and the sports newspapers of the 90's and at the beginning of this century lead an eloquent 8