I looked forward to work every day, it made me happy
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Jiří Sommer was born on 16 January 1939 into a family with a long forestry tradition, which was closely linked to the Auersperg noble family. He spent his childhood in a forester´s lodge near Keblov, in a landscape surrounded by deep forests, which he has always kept as his home. After graduating from primary school, he entered secondary technical school at the Žďár machinery works, but he left the school after three years and took a job at the Jawa factory in Týnec nad Sázavou. He completed his basic military service with the tank troops in Milovice and Čáslav. After returning from the army, he completed his secondary education by evening studies, which opened the way for further professional growth. At Jawa, where he started as a welder, he gradually worked his way up to the position of output quality manager. In 1963, he began racing as a motorcycle rider for the company car club. Jawa motorcycles became his lifelong passion, which did not leave him even after his retirement in 2000. In 2025, Jiří Sommer was living with his family in Neveklov.
