News server iDNES.cz reports that on Wednesday, 13 March, yet another Olah king, Jan Horvátko (nicknamed Bobko) passed away after a long period of health problems. Jan Lipa of Ostrava, who shared the post of king with Horvátko, also passed away last October. Horvátko’s funeral was held today at 9 AM in Prostějov’s main cemetery.
"He had a stroke and was then bedridden for two months, during which his internal organs gradually failed. He had to die, he couldn’t go on," Jan Lakatoš, who attended the wake in Brodek u Prostějova yesterday evening, told news server iDNES.cz.
After the death of the previous Olah king, Josef Smolka, Horvátko shared the post with Jan Lipa, who had been king since 2001. Some of the Olah Romani community in Brno did not recognize Lipa and elected Horvátko instead. After his election, he said his priorities were preventing the mass departure of Romani people abroad and resolving the problems of some Olah community members with drugs.
Horvátko lived in America for 23 years, where he made a living trading in Persian carpets. Jan Lipa was one of his business partners and the two had good relations. The disunity between them did not occur until Horvátko returned to the Czech Republic.
Josef Stojka, who was previously Lipa’s right-hand man, is now expressing regret over Horvátko’s passing, saying he was an excellent person. Stojka says Horvátko negotiated peace between the clans in Brno and Ostrava.
