Karel Babka (1880 - 1953)

Karel Babka was a Czech medallist and sculptor. He was born in 1880 in Královské Vinohrady. He trained as a metal modeler.From 1901 to 1907 he studied under Prof. Stanislav Suchard. In 1912, he went to Moscow, where he joined the important Russian mint Gladkov and Kozlov. He participated in the monument for the city of Smolensk, created sculptures for the Dmitrovs department store and a relief for the Lux Hotel. After the outbreak of the First World War he joined the Czechoslovak Legions and took part in the Battle of Zborov. He participated in a number of memorials to the legionaries. In 1920 he returned to Prague, where he continued to create Legionary themes, especially monuments. From 1922 to 1938 he was a conservator at the Liberation Memorial in Prague. He concentrated most of his work as a medallist from 1947 to 1952. Karel Babka died in the spring of 1953.