Professor Emeritus Dr. Michael Flack (Flach) - מיכאל בן ליאון הלוי who was an educator all his life, passed away in Brno Czech Republic on January the 4th, 2009, 88 years of age. Born on September the 12th, 1920 in Lviv (Lemberg in German and Lwow in Polish) now Ukraine, than Poland. His mother tongue was German, as child he learned in Polish, he studied in Czech and teached in English.
He was a poet, musician and scholar. His father Ing. Leo Flach was an officer in the Austrian Army during WWI and lost his arm during the battles in France. His mother Dr. Elzabeth Flach - Kober had a Ph.D. when girls hardly learned.
In WWII the whole family was deported by the Germans to Theresienstadt. Michael was transported to Theresienstadt on December 14th,1941 where he was the co-director of building L-318, a house of young children, most of them lost their families before they arrived. From Theresienstadt he was transported to Auschwitz on September 28th, 1944. He survived Theresienstadt, Auschwitz and Meuselwitz and the Death March.
The book "There are no Butterflies here" was compiled from poems written in Theresienstadt and saved by Michael's mother Dr. Elzabeth (Elka) Flach. Most of the poems which were published as "Anonymous" or "MIF" were written by Michael.
After the war he moved to the USA and was Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at Pittsburg University. He had students from all countries around the world, who became prominent leaders in their societies.
He was my father's cousin. May he rest in peace - יהיה זכרו ברוך
