ENGL 2200: The First World War

Vojtech Preissig (b. 1873) taught printing and graphic arts at Wentworth from 1917-1924.  A printer, painter, type designer, and graphic artist, he produced some of the finest printed works of his era; including this recruiting poster . His fervent support of Czech and Slovak independence movements can be seen in this piece, in which the Czech flag is prominently displayed.  It was hoped that a victory over Germany 's ally, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, would lead to Czech independence, which was finally declared in 1918.

After leaving Wentworth, Preissig returned to his native Czechoslovakia. When World War II broke out, he joined the Czech resistance to the Nazi occupation.  Arrested by the Gestapo in 1940, he died on June 11, 1944, in the concentration camp at Dachau.