The desire to live. The (Un)Ordinary Story of František Färber from Kroměříž
Until 30 June 2025
František Färber was born on 27 March 1913 into the family of shoe merchant Josef Färber and his wife Klára. He had an older sister Marta, who trained as a milliner and lived in Prague. The Färbers were not religious, but observed high holidays. Josef Färber died before Francis' bar mitzvah ceremony. František's role model was his uncle Max Färber, the last president of the Kromeriz Jewish community. In his shoe shop he trained as a salesman. František led the local Zionist youth organization Maccabi Hatzair. He even participated in the first Maccabee Sports Games in Tel Aviv in 1932. He planned to move to Palestine permanently, but on September 1, 1939, he was arrested by the Gestapo as part of a preemptive hostage situation at the time of the German invasion of Poland. He spent a week with other arrestees in the chapel at Špilberk. After that he was transported via Dachau to the Buchenwald concentration camp, where he was imprisoned until the end of the war. At first he worked in the worst commandos in the stone quarry. After nine months, he got a job as a bricklayer, which probably saved his life. Apart from cousins serving in the British Army, the whole family of Franz Färber was murdered. After the liberation, František returned to Kroměříž and worked as a national administrator in his uncle Max's shop. After the nationalisation of the shop he was employed in the national company Řempo, where he stayed until his retirement. Together with his wife he raised two children. He was involved in the Czech Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters. He was passionate about numismatics and collecting medals and plaques from Kroměříž. He also contributed to the preservation of the building of the Bishop's Mint. František Färber died in 2003. His funeral was the last farewell in Kroměříž, which took place in the spirit of Jewish traditions.
About the author of the exhibition...
Han Jiang Xue, the author of the drawings, also works under the artist name Han Snow. His work is very broad. He does not limit himself to drawing, but also works in painting and wood and leather. When drawing pictures for an educational comic book presenting the life story of František Färber, he drew on historical sources - for example, family photographs or objects in the depository of the Kroměříž Museum. His delicate, precise drawings excel in their attention to detail and achieve a high level of authenticity. Drawings that are not part of the comic are also exhibited.