It is good to learn from those who are wise
Roman Gronský was born on 15 February 1950 in Olomouc. His father’s side of the family, Lothar Grünwald, was Jewish, with the result that many of his relatives, in addition to those who survived the war abroad, became victims of Nazi crimes. From childhood he devoted himself to intensive language study, which influenced his future career. Together with his father, who was a doctor in Cuba, he had the opportunity to meet Che Guevara. After 1968, despite the regime’s grip, he travelled several times to the West. He also travelled frequently for work, making several trips to Baghdad during the Iraq-Iran conflict. After an accident and the amputation of a limb, he took up sport - especially swimming and competitive skiing - and successfully participated first actively and later as a member of the leadership of several Paralympic teams. In 1995 he initiated the re-establishment of the Rotary Club in Olomouc and as a Rotarian he was able to meet, for example, President Václav Havel, T. J. Bata, American ambassadors in Prague and Sir Nicholas Winton. He also worked for the return of the Torah scroll, which was sold abroad in the 1960s, back to the original Olomouc Jewish community. In 2024, he was still living in Olomouc and was an active Rotarian.