Karel Pavlík

Karel Pavlík (19 October 1900 Hradové Střímelice – 26 January 1943 Mauthausen) was a Czechoslovak Army captain (posthumously promoted to colonel) and decorated hero of Czechoslovakia.

Captain Pavlík was a commander of a company that resisted the German occupants. On 14 March 1939 when German troops started occupation of Czechoslovakia Pavlík was the Officer Commanding of the 12th machine-gun company of the 8th Infantry Regiment housed in Czajánek's barracks in the town of Místek.

After the battle captain Pavlík was forced to surrender. Shortly after the occupation Pavlík joined the resistance. He began his illegal activities against Germans with the group Za Vlast ("For the country"), which helped Czechoslovak pilots run across the border. Then he moved to Prague where he joined the resistance group Obrana národa and cooperated with Václav Morávek. After the betrayal of Ladislav Vaněk in the group Jindra, Pavlík was captured by the Gestapo and later sent to Mauthausen. After torture and questioning he was shot. His body was never found and his symbolic grave is in Kostelec nad Černými lesy.