BOZENA LAGLEROVA 1888-1941 AKA Božena Láglerová, Bozena Langler, Bozena Langlerova and Bozena Lagler

Bozena Laglerova Library of Congress Collection

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Dave Lam, 11-14-04      Bozena Laglerova was born in Prague on 11 December 1888. She is variously listed as Austrian or Czech-- the reason for this is that Prague was part of Austro-Hungary until 1918, when Czechoslovakia was formed as an independent nation.      In Germany, she flew under the name of Lagler, and she was Hans Grade's first female student at Bork. She began her training there in Spring of 1911. In July, she crashed and destroyed the airplane, suffering some "internal bruising". She went home to Prague to recover, and after that she resumed flying.      She became the first woman licensed by the Austrian Aero Club, earning license #37 on 10 October 1911. On 19 October 1911, she became the second woman licensed by the Germans, when she earned license # 125.      She had another serious crash on either 22 or 24 October 1911 (my sources differ), near Kladnor (Prague area) , falling from 1500 meters, and again escaped , though this time she was transported to a Prague hospital "with llife-threatening injuries". She recovered and flew exhibition and competitions for the next couple of years, making appearances in numerous German cities, including Friedrichshafen, Leipzig, Hamburg, and Johannistal.

 

Bozena Langlerova & "Richter" Library of Congress Collection

 

Bozena Langlerova, 1911 Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES from Jean-Pierre Lauwers      Bozčna Langler. seems to have earned her German Pilots License on October 19, 1911. She came from Czechoslovakia. The plane, in front of which she is standing in the photo above, appears to be a Hans Grade plane. Perhaps it is the one in which she learned to fly. I don't have any information further on her at this moment.

 

Hans Grade, 1910 Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      Using the Google search engine on "Bozena Laglerova", (1-24-08), you will find about 10 links. Many of them are very helpful.      Unfortunately, as of 11-12-03, one of the most important websites had disappeared from the net. Luckily, I had excerpted the following paragraph from it before it was lost.   CZECH AVIATION HISTORY by Radek Adamec      "The fame of Czech aviation was spread significantly by one of the first female pilots in the world - Bozena Langlerova. The courage of this woman is admirable considering she had a crash during her first test, and suffered serious injuries. After she recovered, she enrolled for the test once again, and got her certificate in September 1911."

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Daniel Hubac, 1-20-08 Hello:      I visited this website and realized that the date of her death was not known.      After WW I, Bozena Laglerovam, one of first female pilots, chose not to enlist in the newly founded Czechoslovak air force and never flew again.      She died in Prague, Czechoslovakia, on 8 October 1941. Have a nice day. Daniel Hubac Prague

 

Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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