Karel Hartmann

Karel Hartmann was born into a wealthy Jewish family in the Central Bohemian town Příbram although his family moved to Prague when he was very young.

He played for České Sportovni in Bohemia prior to World War I. Playing the now defunct position of rover, he was known for his skating speed as a youth. After the war he returned to České Sportovni, until the club folded, and then joined ČKD Praha, playing with them from 1921-28. Hartman competed at the 1920 Olympics, winning a bronze medal, and at the 1923 and 1927 European Championships, also winning a bronze medal in 1923. An attorney by profession, he also worked as a sports journalist for many years and was a Vice-President of ČKD Praha. Hartmann also served as the Vice-President of the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) in 1922-23.

Hartmann never practiced the Jewish religion and, as an accomplished singer, it was thought that his wish to sing in a church choir was the inspiration for him to convert to Catholicism rather than any religious revelation.

The fact that he had converted to Christianity made no difference to the Nazi occupiers of Czechoslovakia and the entire family were deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp in July 1942. On October 16, 1944 they were moved to Auschwitz where he and his wife were probably put to death on the same day. Their two sons survived to the end of the war and eventually left Czechoslovakia to pursue new lives in the USA.