Božena Laglerová

Božena Gabriela Vítězslava Laglerová (11 December 1888 – 8 October 1941) was a Czech pioneer aviator. She become the first female pilot in Austria-Hungary. She competed in air competitions.

Biography Laglerová was born in Vinohrady (now part of Prague), Bohemia, Austria-Hungary on 11 December 1888. She was a accomplished opera singer and sculptor before embarking on her aviation career.

Laglerová was the seventh and final child of Jozefa Počtová and Vojtěch Lagler. A graduate of the Prague Conservatory in 1906, she initially joined the vocal ensemble of the Vinohrady Theatre, where she was later promoted to soloist in 1908.

During the dress rehearsal of her first performance, she lost her voice, and despite retraining in Paris, a vocal cord injury ended her performance career. To supplement her musical pursuits, Laglerová studied sculpture at the School of Applied Arts, however her interests soon turned towards aviation.

Upon returning home to Prague, she began attending the Czech Technical University, where her brother-in-law Václav Felix, was a professor in the field of experimental physics and an aviation fan. However, she faced considerable resistance and rejection as a woman seeking a pilot's license.

Laglerová competed in air competitions, internationally and across Europe. After the War, Laglerová married flight instructor Josef Peterka on 22 April 1919, eventually ceasing her flying activities. In 1925, she ran in parliamentary elections for the National Workers' Party, and wrote for the magazine Letec.

In April 2025 a statue titled "Courage" was unveiled in Prague, commemorating Laglerová along with hockey player Augustin Bubník. The work emerged from an art competition announced as part of an urban transformation.