Prague, Oct 28 (CTK) – President Milos Zeman gave the Order of White Lion to Slovenian President Borut Pahor, former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder, Vienna Mayor Michael Haupl and three soldiers on Czech national holiday on Saturday.
Zeman bestowed the Order of White Lion of the military group on three Czech and Czechoslovak soldiers.
He decorated in memoriam Prague Uprising commander Karel Kutlvasr who was imprisoned by the Communist regime.
Zeman said in his speech that he would thus repay a debt because instead of the nation appreciating his merits, Kutlvasr was punished.
Former Czechoslovak chief of staff General Ludvik Krejci was also decorated in memoriam.
Zeman gave the Order of White Lion to General Karel Pezl, the first chief of staff of the Czech military after the fall of the Communist regime.
The second highest state decoration, the Order of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, was given to three personalities.
Zeman gave it in memoriam to Slovenian architect Josip Plecnik who helped reconstruct the Prague Castle, the seat of Czech head of state, in the interwar period.
A decoration was also given in memoriam to U.S. diplomat Charles Crane who sponsored Slav culture, such as Alfons Mucha’s Slav Epic.
The Order of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk was also bestowed on Petr Beck, an Auschwitz survivor, who took part in the fight against Nazi Germany at the close of World War Two.
Zeman bestowed four medals For Bravery. One of them was given in memoriam to police officer Vaclav Haase who died from the injuries he suffered when intervening against an aggressive youth who attacked him with a knife.
Firefighter Jan Odermatt was decorated for rescuing the human life and much property. He died this February, having succumbed to the injuries he suffered when extinguishing the fire in a plant near Prague.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) was not present at the ceremony.
Sobotka and Zeman have a tense relationship. Government spokesman Martin Ayrer CTK said Sobotka had excused himself from the ceremony earlier this week as he would be spending this weekend with his children outside Prague.
