Norbert Capek
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Norbert Capek (1870-1942) founder of the Unitarian Church in the Czech Republic.
Norbert Capek was born into a Catholic family on June 3, 1870 in Radomysl, a small town in southern Bohemia. As a boy he wanted to join the priesthood, but in his late teens, he turned to the Baptist church and was ordained as a minister.
After authoring a series of articles on topics ranging from psychology to politics, he moved his family to the United States where he became editor of a Czech language newspaper. Eventually, Capek's religious perspective began to change and he discovered Unitarianism. In 1920, he was asked to join the Unitarian ministry.
Widowed shortly after his arrival in America, Capek met and married another Czech expatirate, Maja Oktavec. Together they decided to bring Unitarianism back to their homeland. The couple returned to Prague in 1921.
The new congregation they formed grew rapidly and soon purchased a large building at the foot of the Charles Bridge that was dubbed "Unitaria." The early worship services generally consisted of lectures. Some members felt that the congregation lacked a spiritual dimension. In response Capek created the Flower Communion. Each member would bring a flower to the church where it was placed in a large central vase. At the end of the service, each would take home a different flower. This symbolized that each member is a unique individual and that they came together to share this uniqueness.
During World War II, although he was invited to return to the United States, Capek chose to remain in Europe. He gave a series of sermons on the topic of freedom and justice which got him into trouble with the Gestapo and in March 1941 his books and sermons were confiscated. Capek was taken to the Dachau concentration camp where he lived for a year and a half in the "Priesterblock." He was eventually executed. The International Association for Religious Freedom placed a plaque in the camp in his memory.
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