Co-founder and Honorary President of Green Cross Czech Republic

Štěpán Kyjovský, a pioneer of environmental education, co-founder of Green Cross Czech Republic, and its esteemed Honorary President, passed away on the 22nd of September. His legacy is evident in his decades of selfless work and in the generations of young people he inspired to care for and protect the natural world. 

A Lifetime Dedicated to the Environment

After graduating with a degree in electronics from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Štěpán worked for many years at the Hydrometeorological Institute. During his time there, he encountered many people who disagreed with the environmentally harmful decisions of the era. 

Following the 1989 revolution, democratic conditions finally allowed for true care and protection of the environment. Recognising this pivotal moment, Štěpán and his friend Josef Stránský were inspired to found an environmental organisation. Together with their friend Marie Chaloupková, they sought to establish Green Cross Czech Republic as a national organisation of Green Cross International. 

During a business trip to Geneva in 1993, Štěpán visited Green Cross International headquarters, where Director Mr. Eggenberg provided him with the necessary instructions and guidance. Two years later, Green Cross Czech Republic was officially accepted into Green Cross International at the 1995 General Assembly in Glion. 

A Lasting Legacy in Education

Under Štěpán’s leadership, Green Cross Czech Republic focused its efforts primarily on the field of environmental education for children and youth. Together with the Environmental Education Club, under the leadership of Ludmila Krušková and Danuše Kvasničková, the organisation held annual art competitions for young people.

The evaluation and awarding of the winners across individual categories took place at the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Senate of the Czech Republic.

A visit to these representative spaces, normally inaccessible to the public, was an unforgettable experience for the competing children and their teachers. 

Green Cross Czech Republic also wishes to express its sincere gratitude to Green Cross Italy, which for several years invited the competition winners to visit Italy. 

In Grateful Memory

We thank Štěpán Kyjovský for his vision, leadership, and lifelong dedication to Green Cross Czech Republic and environmental education. His work and memory will live on through the organisation he helped build and the many lives he touched. 

Written by Luz Bernad and Giulia Pratesi, GCIHQ Team