Karel Dufek

Karel Dufek (24 January 1916 – 16 December 2009) was a Czechoslovak diplomat and a Spanish Civil War veteran who served in the International Brigades.

Youth Dufek was born in Dolní Heřmanice, in the Austro-Hungarian Margraviate of Moravia (present-day Žďár nad Sázavou District) on 24 January 1916. He studied at the Masaryk University in Brno between 1935 and 1937. He remained in Spain until 1939. Between 1944 and 1947 he served as Czechoslovak Liaison Repatriation and Tracing Officer with Allied Staff in France and Frankfurt am Main, holding the rank of Staff Captain.

Diplomatic career Upon his return to Czechoslovakia he served as Section Head at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1947–1948. In Ankara Dufek held the post of Chargé d'affaires. Dufek was charged with treason, whilst the other three defendants were also charged with espionage.

Dufek was removed from his post as Ambassador by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 31 March 1971. No public explanation was given for his removal.

Later life In connection with the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, Dufek and two other surviving Czech volunteers of the International Brigades were personally received by the Czech Minister of Defence Karel Kühnl and thanked for their contributions in the struggle against fascism.

According to the official web of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dufek died on 16 December 2009 in the Czech Republic.

Decorations

1946: Czechoslovak Military Medal for Merit 1948: Order of Liberation 1st Grade 1948: Polish Order of Virtuti militari 1st Grade 1949: Order of 25 February, 2nd Grade 1965: Commemoration Medal on 20th Anniversary of Liberation of CSSR 1965: Order of the Red Star 1st Grade 1966: For Services in Reconstruction