The Man Who Saved the Moravian Caves from Privatisation

Geologist Ladislav Slezák took charge of the cave operations in the Moravian Karst in the summer of 1968 — weeks after the Soviet occupation, which he refused to welcome, and without ever joining the Communist Party. Despite this, he spent years building up the organisation, establishing a protective guard for the karst and a professional research group. In 1973 he organised the diving section of an international speleological congress in Olomouc, which unexpectedly became a cover operation for divers emigrating to Canada. Because of this, the StB (secret police) planted two agents among his own staff, and in early 1974 he was removed from his post. After the Velvet Revolution he was fully rehabilitated, returned to head the newly formed Administration of Czech and Moravian Caves — and ensured the caves could not be privatised.

QUICK LINKS 🧑‍🔬 The geologist who refused a party card · 🤿 The congress that became an escape route · 🚫 Dismissal and rehabilitation · ❓ FAQ

In every article on this blog, we cite the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic — the organisation that today manages all the caves open to the public across the country. Its modern form is, to a large extent, down to one man whose career reads like a better adventure story than most of what you’ll actually see underground.

The Geologist Who Refused a Party Card

Ladislav Slezák was born in 1934 in Brno-Řečkovice. He fell for caving while still at grammar school — in 1950 he founded a student caving group at his school in Brno-Královo Pole, which initially explored Býčí skála and later moved to the southern part of the Moravian Karst around Ochozská Cave. After university he worked as a geologist in Slovakia, and from 1958 he mapped the Moravian Karst for the Central Geological Institute in Prague. From 1960 he headed the newly established Karst Research Department at the Moravian Museum in Brno.

In the summer of 1968 he took charge of the Moravský kras organisation in Blansko, which ran the local caves — precisely at the moment Warsaw Pact troops entered Czechoslovakia. Slezák refused to welcome their arrival, and throughout his career he also refused to join the Communist Party. Despite this, he managed to build up the organisation with real purpose: he founded the Protective Guard of the Moravian Karst, set up a documentation department, and led a professional research group.

The Congress That Became an Escape Route to the West

In 1973 Slezák successfully organised the diving section of the 6th International Speleological Congress in Olomouc. But the congress served another purpose that wasn’t on the programme — it opened up a secret emigration route, which divers from Czechoslovakia used to escape to Canada.

Slezák paid for this professionally. The StB planted two agents among his own staff to monitor his activities, and in early 1974 he was removed from his leadership post. He was only allowed to keep his position as head of the research group, with which he was transferred in 1977 to the newly established Administration of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area.

Dismissal, Rehabilitation, and the Fight Against Privatisation

Satisfaction came after the Velvet Revolution: in 1989 Slezák was fully rehabilitated and asked to return to the helm — this time as director of the newly formed Administration of Czech and Moravian Caves, the organisation overseeing all publicly accessible caves in Bohemia and Moravia. He accepted, and during the 1990s, when practically everything was being privatised, he achieved something we now take for granted: the exemption of the caves from privatisation and their protection under law. He retired in 1995.

Without this decision, today’s Punkva Caves (Punkevní jeskyně), Kateřinská Cave, or Výpustek Cave could well be in private hands with entirely different priorities from nature conservation — they might look completely different from how you know them on this blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Ladislav Slezák? A geologist and speleologist (born 1934) who ran the cave operations of the Moravian Karst from 1968 to 1974, and who, after the Velvet Revolution, became director of the Administration of Czech and Moravian Caves from 1989 onwards.

Why was he removed from his post in 1974? Because of the diving section of the International Speleological Congress in Olomouc (1973), which served as a cover operation for divers emigrating to Canada — as a result, the StB planted two agents among his own staff.

What is his greatest contribution for today’s cave visitors? In the 1990s, as director, he secured the exemption of publicly accessible caves from privatisation, ensuring their legal protection to this day.

Is today’s Cave Administration of the Czech Republic linked to this story? Yes — it’s the direct successor to the organisation Slezák led after 1989 as the Administration of Czech and Moravian Caves.

Part of the series Hidden Stories of the Moravian Karst and A Week in the Moravian Karst: The Complete 7-Day Itinerary. Source: Slezák, L. — “Geological Guide to the Moravian Karst (Southern Part)”, Czech Speleological Society, ZO 6-12 Speleological Club Brno, 2014 — the author’s own testimony in the publication’s introduction.