Jiří Klůc

Jiří Klůc
Born (1996-12-10) 10 December 1996
OccupationsHistorian, researcher
Websitejirikluc.cz/en/

Jiří Klůc (born 10 December 1996) is a Czech historian and researcher. He has an active project to record the stories of the Holocaust and World War II survivors, having assembled more than 700 of them to date.[1]

He has written a number of books, including the account of Ervín Hoida, who was the last surviving Czechoslovak veteran of the Battle of France, and Antonín Fajkus, the last living Czech fighter pilot from World War II.[2][3]

Career

Klůc says his interest in World War II survivors began as a teenager, volunteering to help Holocaust survivors living near his home in the Czech Republic.[1][4][3] During the COVID-19 epidemic he realized that many of the survivors of World War II were passing away and that their stories were being lost.[5] He began a project to interview and record the stories of concentration camp survivors and World War II veterans.

He is a graduate of Charles University in Prague, where he is also pursuing a Ph.D.[6][7] His Masters Thesis was on the topic of Czechoslovak citizens who had German roots, but served in the British Royal Air Force to fight against the Nazis.[4]

Klůc has traveled throughout Europe, North America, and Australia to record interviews.[1] He has been supported through the Czech Heritage Foundation and through online donations to fund the project.[7] In early 2025, he uncovered the story of Antonín Fajkus, a highly decorated Czechoslovakian-born US World War II fighter pilot, traveling to Chicago to bring Fajkus more than 900 birthday cards for his 101st birthday, and greetings from the Czech president Petr Pavel.[5]


As of early 2026 he has recorded more than 700 interviews with World War II survivors.[1] Klůc stated that what surprised him most was that most of them had never told their story before.[7] He says that he asks interviewees to relate not just their experiences of the war, but about daily life of the time and their heritage.

Klůc is an accredited guide at the Theresienstadt Ghetto (Terezín), a former Nazi transit/concentration camp and fortress town in World War II, located in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.[6] He has also written a number of articles chronicling the stories of Czech fighters and survivors of World War II.[8]

Published Works

Klůc has published seven books, one of which is currently available in English.[9][2]

  • Sokolovo. In the Shadow of Propaganda. 2016. 256 pages. In Czech language. ISBN: 978-80-87567-85-2.
  • Kapitán Otakar Jaroš ("Captain Otakar Jaros"). The Story of a Hero by Sokolov. 2018. 176 pages. In Czech language. 978-80-7573-027-5.
  • Josef Müller. The Story of a Czechoslovak Jewish Soldier on the Eastern Front. 2020. 160 pages. In Czech language. ISBN: 978-80-88292-70-8.
  • Stanislav Kobrle. The Forgotten Story of a Gulag Prisoner and Hero of the Eastern Front. 2022. 40 pages. In Czech language. 978-80-11-01277-9.
  • Zapomenutí váleční veteráni ("Forgotten War Veterans"). Four previously unpublished stories of war veterans. 2022. 104 pages. In Czech language. ISBN: 978-80-11-00967-0.
  • Ervín Hoida: poslední z hrdinů ("Ervín Hoida: the Last of the Heroes"). Untold story of the Czechoslovak WWII veteran Ervin Hoida. 2023. 96 pages. Available in Czech and English. ISBN: 978-80-7573-127-2.
  • Čech od Rudých ďáblů ("Bohemia from the Red Devils"). The Story of the Last Living Czechoslovak Fighter Pilot Antonín Fajkus. 2025. 104 pages. In Czech language. ISBN: 978-80-7573-148–7.

He has also published a number of online historical articles.[8]

Personal life

Klůc speaks Czech, Slovak, English and Russian.[1] He lives in Prague.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Melnick, Kyle (27 January 2026). "Man, 29, races against time to preserve voices of Holocaust survivors". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Kiefer (29 June 2024). "Historian Jiri Kluc Honors WWII Veterans, Discusses Book on Major Ervin Hoida at Museum Event". booksnreview.com. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b "They survived war and the Holocaust. You can help preserve their stories, says historian Jiří Klůc". medium.seznam.cz (in Czech). 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b Lazarová, Daniela (3 January 2025). "Historian on forgotten WWII heroes: I feel compelled to tell their life stories". Radio Prague International. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b Gordon, Allison; Camarillo, Emmanuel (26 January 2025). "101-year-old U.S. WWII fighter pilot overwhelmed by birthday cards from his Czech hometown". chicago.suntimes.com. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Jiří Klůc - historik". Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b c Decious, Elijah (13 July 2024). "Czech historian interviews Iowa World War II veterans to research, preserve their historical experiences". thegazette.com. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b "George Kluc". reportermagazin.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Jiří Klůc - My Books" (in Czech). Retrieved 5 February 2026.
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