Radio Barcelona, The Voice of Free Slovakia
Ferdinand Ďurčanský
Ferdinand Ďurčanský was born in 1906 near Zilina, Slovakia, then a part of the A.ustro-Hungarian Empire. He graduated from the Law School of Komenskeho University in Bratislava. He also studied law in Paris and returned to Bratislava to conclude his studies for a Doctorate of Laws degree and practiced law in Bratislava. In 1936 he founded the magazine Nastup (The Attack), described as a fascist, anti-Semitic. In February 1938, he participated in the agreement between Slovakia, Hungary, and Sudeten-Germans on a joint action plan against the Czech government in Prague. Czechoslovakia was divided as federal state with autonomous regional governments in Slovakia and Ruthenia. On March 12, 1939, Ďurčanský and Monsignor Josef Tiso traveled to Berlin to meet with Hitler. 2 days later, German troops invaded Bohemia and Slovakia was declared an independent nation.
Ďurčanský became Minister of Foreign Affairs. He concluded an agreement in August 1939 with Germany that established a military zone in Slovakia, which helped the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Ďurčanský also signed an agreement with Germany to send forced labor to Germany and permitted the German army to occupy important Slovak factories.
Ďurčanský lost his cabinet posts in July 1940 for not fully explained reasons. For the next four years he practiced law in Bratislava and managed a chemical faction. In April 1945 as the Soviet army moved in Slovakia, he and others escaped to Austria. Reportedly, he escaped with 150 kilograms of morphine.
In the Spring of 1945, Ferdinand Ďurčanský escaped frin Austria to Rome, with his wife and two children. When Karel Sidor of the Slovak League of America (SLA) declined to share with him funds that were collected from Slovak nationals abroad, Ďurčanský organized the Slovak Action Committee (SAC) to work for an independent Slovakia. He also lived in a Jesuit monastery in Frascati near Rome, then in Grottaferrata in the College of Oriental Priests and in the Vatican.
In 1946, the United Nations War Crimes Commission listed Ďurčanský as a war criminal, but extradition requests by the Czechoslovak government under President Benes was refused by Italy on the grounds that the Treaty of 1921 between the two countries did not apply to political criminals. In December 1946, a trial against Ďurčanský was opened in Prague, and on April 15, 1947, he was sentenced to death in absentia as a war criminal. There was apparently a failed attempt to kidnap him in Rome in August and bring him back to Czechoslovakia for trial.
In November 1946, Ďurčanský began his attempts to enter the USA when he registered him-self and his family with the American Consulate in Naples, Italy on the Czech quota waiing list. He applied for a visa in January 1947 but it was declined.
He sailed from Naples, Italy to Buenos Aires, Argentina, under the pseudonym Nandor Vilcek.[1] Ďurčanskýmoved to Argentina, supposedly as the invitation of Evita Peron. and in 1948 Argentina refused his extradition to Czechoslovakia.
Slovak refugees Dezider Murgaš and Eduard Moščovič, reportedly on the initiative of Ferdinand Ďurčanský, reportedly assembled a radio from parts purchased on the black market from the US Army's stock at the end of winter 1946. Another Slovak refugee R. Dilong went to Salizano, Italy about 100 km from Rome to worship in a Franciscan Monastery. A local priest and convinced anti-Communist placed the radio in the parish house; the church tower acted as an antenna. Radio Barcelona was the call sign and it only had power of 1Kw. Since the station was illegal in Italy, authorities began looking for it. [2]
Radio Barcelona broadcast daily from 22:00 to 22:30 in Slovak and from 23:00 to 23:30 in English on 44.45m for Slovakia and on 16m band for South America and 19m band for the U.S. Czechoslovak authorities monitored and recorded the broadcasting on March 20, 1947; the last known broadcast was on April 19 1947.[3] The Czechoslovak Ministry of National Defense report in May 1947, concluded that the radio station was actually operating from a British military base near Udine, Italy, a city in north-eastern Italy. [4]
The radio station “For Free Slovakia” began on November 27, 1948, from Braunau, Austria, operated by Jozef Čačko . It broadcast for two hours on Saturday and Sunday. The U.S. Army’s CIC reportedly confiscated the radio and “For Free Slovakia” ended. [5]
The “Voice of the Slovak Republic” radio station was first heard on April 16, 1947, spoke on behalf of the Slovak Action Committee. The station later added, “The Voice of Slovak Republic of the Spanish Radio Nacional” to its name. It spoke in behalf of Slovak separatism and used the slogan, “This year over to the attack! Every trace of the Second Czechoslovak Republic will be erased.” Listeners were encouraged to write “SAV” in all public places in Slovakia. One broadcast said, “Preparations for a revolt are already underway…a rising is in preparation against the Communist government…Insurgent troops are already being organized.” Ďurčanský’s voice was heard in one broadcast, in which he declared that in Slovakia, “No one knew what would happen to him the next day, where there was no religious freedom, and from where people were being deported to the USSR.”
Ďurčanský arranged for renewal of radio station in Austria on December 5, 1950 that broadcast on Tuesdays and Fridays on 12:45 AM on the short-wave band of 40 meters.
The program began and ended with the playing of the Slovak Republic’s national anthem in World War II and included the statement: “By fighting Communism we are fighting for the restoration of the Slovak Republic.” The first program was not jammed.[6] Anton Maly was the operator of the station “Voice of the Slovak Republic” and was the Austrian representative of Ďurčanský’s Slovak Liberation Committee. [7]
Ďurčanský returned to Europe on or about May 20, 1952, from Argentina and proceed to Innsbruck, Austria. He requested a visa for Germany, but it was refused by the Combined Travel Board (German and American intelligence services). He then proceeded to Paris, where he received a 3-month French visa, before returning to Germany.
A Free Europe Committee memorandum in May 1952 gave some details about Ďurčanský;
Our continuing study of the various attacks on PEROUTKA (head of the Czech Desk of RFE) indicates that they are inspired by agents of two political adventurers and agitators, namely General PRCHALA and Dr. Ferdinand DURCANSKY . . . DURCANSKY’S fulminations and vilifications of many prominent Czechs regularly appear in obscure newspapers published in the Czech or Slovak language in various centers of Czech emigration. [8]
In the Slovak émigré newspaper in the United States in 1952, SLOVÁK V AMERIKE, there was a notice announcing the broadcasting of a short-wave radio transmitter on 45 meters daily at 1900 hours, Central European Time. The notice named John Kutasovic as trustee, and urged readers to contribute funds for the radio station. The alleged new transmitter called itself the Voice of the Slovak Republic, and said itself to be the sole defender of Slovak rights. A CIA memorandum dated June 14, 1952, concluded:
We strongly believe that direct or indirect American help for Ďurčanský is not only unsound politically and morally, but also will greatly complicate our problems here … [A]nd, in the case of DYCLEAN (CIA)– are in strong opposition to Ďurčanský and will wish to divert their strength to sabotaging and penetrating him, if permitted to do. Psychological warfare operations will be rendered almost useless, as too much conflicting material will be poured into a small target.
We respectfully submit…that it will serve no substantial interest of DYCLAIM (OSO) to support Ďurčanský through indirect subsidizations paid to ZIPPER (Gehlen Organization-ORG) for the purpose.
With respect to the solicitation of funds in SLOVAK V AMERIKE, if in fact the alleged radio is a hoax, solicitors might be urged to sue the paper for fraud. Hrobek might write an article demanding proof, or some other less indirect but equally effective method used to kill the fund-raising, [9]
In 1953, Ďurčanský was living in Munich, Germany, and tried to set up another radio station in Augsburg, Germany, with the assistance of the German Intelligence organization (Gehlen organization--ORG).
Ďurčanský sent a letter dated February 18, 1953, to William (Bill) Griffith, Political Advisor of RFE in Munich, in which he wrote in part:
Because it is generally in the interest of every follower of the principles of Freedom and Democracy that resistance against Communism and Moscow’s imperialism be strengthened, and because the realization of these principles behind the Iron Curtain is a pre-condition for peace may I be allowed to remind you that a successful achievement of these aims requires to organize a special Slovak section-desk-in the radio station of the National Committee for a Free Europe in Munich, which would in no way be dependent on the Czechs but would have the same working capacity as the Czech desk.
The Slovak Liberation Committee would gladly cooperate with the National Committee for a Free Europe if we would be given the democratic opportunity of broadcasting those ideals of which the Independence of the United States was born and which alone can form the basis of progress, happiness and peace in the World. [10]
A copy of his letter was sent to the United States Hight Commissioner in Bonn, James B. Conan.
From 1952 to 1958 Ďurčanský’s acted in an advisory capacity to the Gehlen Organization (ORG), supplying them with information on Czechoslovakia. In March 1953, ORG told CIA that the illegal radio broadcasts would not be made but they would continue working with Ďurčanský—he had the code name “Professor” with ORG. The Gehlen Organization explained to CIA field office that, “Other than a basic discussion with members of the Sudenten German group (Landsmannschaft) three months ago about a joint anti-Communist transmissions to Czechoslovakia, there has been no preparation in this direction. The discussion has to be recognized as having failed. This involved private negotiations of the PROFESSOR without any direct or indirect involvement of the ORG.” [11]
Dr. Ferdinand Ďurčanský died in Munich on March 21, 1974.
[7] Foreign Service Dispatch, American Embassy Vienna, to the Department of State, Washington, Subject: Activities of Czech and Slovak Refugees Political Groups in Austria, March 26, 1952, DURCANSKY, FERDINAND VOL.1_0073, https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/519a6b27993294098d5110f5,
[8] DURCANSKY, FERDINAND VOL. 2_0028, Op cit.
[10] Foreign Service Dispatch, From Hight Commissioner, Germany to Department of State, Washington, March 10, 1953, , DURCANSKY, Ferdinand VOL.2_0017, https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/519a6b26993294098d511088,
