28.08.2025
Saturday, 23 August, marked the 60th anniversary of the death of Jan Antonin Bata, a Czechoslovak and later Brazilian entrepreneur who became the head and owner of the Bata company after the tragic death of his half-brother Tomas. It is no secret that Jan Antonin Bata followed in the footsteps of his brother, who was twenty-two years his senior and the founder of a global shoe empire, and who was his role model throughout his life, not only in terms of work, but also to a certain extent in terms of ideas, within the framework of a thoroughly established corporate philosophy.
The Thomas Bata Foundation honoured the memory of Jan Antonin Bata with floral tributes laid at the memorial plaque in the cemetery in Mařatice near Uherské Hradiště, as well as at the statues of Jan Bata in Otrokovice and Zlín.
At the same time, it wrote about his personality on social networks, where you can find a lot of interesting facts and historical information about the famous entrepreneur.
Last but not least, the summer issue of the Patriot magazine featured a comprehensive article written by Jakub Malovaný in collaboration with the historians Hana Kuslová and Ondřej Ševeček, looking back on the colourful life story of Jan Bata.
"Jan Bata undoubtedly contributed to the development of the company he led, the city of Zlín, and the Zlín region. His life story still awaits an objective assessment and evaluation without personal aversions, prejudices, or ulterior motives. I don't want to hide the fact that Jan Antonin Bata is a person for whom I have great sympathy. That is precisely why I think that portraying Jan Bata as an ideal and perfect person would be just as bad as creating a distorted image of him as a traitor, collaborator, and incompetent businessman. Jan Bata was a man who had his strengths and weaknesses, like any other prominent personality. Jan Bata does not need to be idealized. However, we owe him an objective assessment of his life, of what he achieved and created, as well as what he failed to achieve."
HANA KUSLOVÁ (Museum of Southeast Moravia in Zlín)
"He acted decisively, harshly, without hesitation – even though the reality was more complicated. He was a straightforward Moravian Slovak who did not go far for recognition or reproach. It was precisely this unambiguity and ability to act without hesitation that enabled him to assert himself in turbulent times, when strength and direction were more convincing than doubt. At the same time, however, he also made many enemies – his style was provocative, ambitious, and sometimes caused concern. Bata's self-confident demeanour, his quest for influence, and his entrepreneurial way of thinking were not to the liking of those who promoted a different model of power – less economic, more political."
ONDŘEJ ŠEVEČEK (Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences)
