Moravian “Marco Polo”: Photos by traveller discovered in New Zealand

Moravian “Marco Polo”: Photos by traveller discovered in New Zealand  | Radio Prague International

Czech Globetrotter Bohumil Pospisil in New Zealand - Lectures and Photo Exhibits

Half-forgotten Czech globetrotter and adventurer Bohumil Pospisil (1902-1974) visited some fifty countries during his five-year expedition in the late 1920s, and his unbelievable adventures resembled a fascinating novel. He covered over 160,000 kilometers in total, met countless important personalities, his notes and observations filled dozens of notebooks. During the world trip, he also took thousands of photographs, depicting natural beauty, cultural monuments, traditions, ceremonies, celebrations, conflicts, and everyday life. Pospisil´s last stop was New Zealand where he spent almost a year and married a local woman. The couple returned to Prague in the summer of 1931, where he made a living as a freelance journalist, but three years later, he moved to New Zealand and never returned to Czechoslovakia. In 1936, he also published a well-received book "Wandering on the Islands of Wonders" about his new home. Bohumil Pospisil passed away in Auckland in the age of 72. 

Pospisil´s personal archives considered lost for decades were donated by his descendants to Dr. Martin Nekola, well-known Prague based historian doing research on the Czech communities for many years. He published thirty books and hundreds of articles so far, he runs project called the Czechoslovak Talks (www.czechoslovaktalks.com/en; instagram: “czechoslovak_talks” ). Based on the precious material, Dr. Nekola set out on a mission to get the name of Bohumil Pospisil back into public consciousness. He published a number of articles and recently also a book in Czech, organized lectures and photo exhibits at various libraries, galleries and museums all over the Czech Republic, at the Czech Senate, as well as the National Museum of Taiwan.

For February and March 2026, Dr. Nekola plans a trip to New Zealand during which he wants to present and commemorate Pospisil´s incredible life story and rare photographs through the series of lectures for both the students and the public. He is currently looking for possible venues. He would like to use this opportunity and ask all members of CNZBA for cooperation. If you were interested in hosting Dr. Nekola´s program on Bohumil Pospisil next Spring, kindly contact him at: marnekola@gmail.com.

This is a truly unique project demonstrating deep Czech-New Zealand connections and shared history! To support it, Dr. Nekola has also recently launched a crowdfunding campaign, see the link: www.gofundme.com/f/story-of-czechnew-zealand-globetrotter-bohumil-pospisil