* recorded in the personal card:
Marie Bata was a key figure in the life of Tomas Bata. Her father was a librarian in the imperial library, so she spent her youth in Vienna, where she also met Tomas Bata at a ball. They got married on 15 April 1912, after the wedding they went to Zlín and lived their whole life together in a villa in Čepkov, today known as Bata villa. Marie was not only a support for her husband, but also a role model for many residents of Zlín. Her diplomatic skills, nobility, insight and at the same time pragmatism and practicality were admirable. She was perfectly able to lead Tomas Bata to ask the right questions and look for answers to them. Thanks to Maria, he learned to view the world through a different lens, many people said that she led him to his humanity. She also played a key role after the death of her husband and during World War II. We can see how great and fundamental influence she had on the creation of the whole Bata phenomenon in the notes from their joint travels.
Marie Tomas Bata (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3139, p. č. 2)
Travels of Mary and Tomas
She was a great support for Tomas Bata, also during his trips abroad. In 1914, she accompanied him to North Africa - Alexandria and Cairo, where she interpreted all business matters for him from French. In 1919-1920, she helped Tomas Bata during his visit to the USA. In 1923, she accompanied him to the Netherlands, where he tried to understand the Dutch way of farming, according to this model the stables in Zlín were subsequently arranged. For Christmas in 1924, specifically on December 21, they went to southern Italy. They arrived in Palermo on Christmas morning. There, Tomas Bata dictated the principles for the organization of participation in profit and loss, Mrs. Bata and Tom took turns at the typewriter and sent everything in turn to Miss Zaorálková, Tomas Bata's secretary, in Zlín. They spent about 12 days on this Christmas trip. When they arrived in Messina, Tomas Bata said: "We experienced beautiful days, but we have to think about others as well". They started visiting wholesalers of oranges, Bata negotiated sharply with them about the prices, which he managed to reduce from 4 crowns to 50 pennies per piece. From that time, regular deliveries of oranges came to Zlín at reasonable prices. In 1925 she accompanied him on a trip to India, a year later on another trip to the USA. Although they travelled together, they were able to work separately. For example, in the USA, Marie stayed in New York, Tomas continued with Gabesam to Chicago, where they dealt with the purchase of land in Belcamp. In the meantime, Marie devoted herself to secretarial work, answering questions and sending reports to Zlín. In 1927, she accompanied Tomas Bata to Poland, here we find news that she also learned Polish well. That year they also spent several days in San Remo, Ljubljana and Zagreb - everywhere Marie interpreted for him or helped with the administration. The year 1928 was difficult for Tomas Bata in terms of travel, he made several trips to England, where he bought land, his problems with his legs reappeared, but he always went around all the plot of lands several times. During these trips, he was again accompanied by Marie and Gabesam.
Marie Bata died on February 27, 1954 in New York.
Marie with Tomas during their journey to the U.S.A., 1926 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 2520, p. č. 1)
Mr. and Mrs. Bata in front of their villa, 1931 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 2558, p. č. 1)
Marie around 1926 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3123, p. č. 1)
Mr. and Mrs. Bata in India, 1926 (archive of the Bata family)
Marie with Tomas, undated (archive of the Bata family)
Marie among the children at the Zlín Red Cross convalescent home in Březolupy, 1932 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3130, p. č. 2)
Marie with Alice Masaryková during her visit to Zlín, 1933 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3135, p. č. 2)
Josef Hlavnička, Marie Tomas Bata and Jan Antonín Baťa, wedding of Ludvík Gerbec, 1938 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3153, p. č. 1)
Marie at the stud farm in Napajedla, 1939 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3164, p. č. 2)
Marie in the garden of her villa, 1941 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3183, p. č. 1)
In her husband’s study, 1941 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3192, p. č. 2)
Marie during the first year of rowing races “Memorial of Tomas Bata”, 1942 (SOkA Zlín, o. č. 3209, p. č. 3)
