ivan Mackerle

 Born in March 1942 in Pilsen (Czech Republic) and died 3rd January 2013 . His father Julius was noted automotive constructor and so in the childhood Ivan changed residence as his father changed ocupation. At the age of three he moved to Prague, at his five to Koprivnice in Moravia and at sixteen back to Prague, where he lives untill this days. In his childhood he was influenced by the adventurous books by Jaroslav Foglar, and by magazines for dhildern “Vpred” and “Junak” which he had to borow secretly. These reading was illegal at that time. Communist regime at that time alllowed only “socialistic” books and magazines. Despite this he with his friends estabilished boyish club on the lines of the literaly boys “Fast arrows”, and searched boyish adventures.

Later he turned his interest to zoology and electronics but at the end he studied up CVUT University in Prague, faculty of mechanical engeneering, motorcar specialization. In his twenty he marryied Ivona Palickova and his son Danny was born. After finishing school he worked as a designer and then as a superviser in General directory of automotiv industry. In his spare time he push ahead an amaterous films and he shot adventurous movies, initially on 8 mm format, later on 16 mm format.

But mainly he has been passionately interested in learning about all sorts of mysterious and unrevealed phenomena dissclaimed by the official science. Initially he studyied and gathered them up only, later he started to investigate them himself. With his former colleague Michal Brumlik they verified the claims about strange phenomena and hauntings in the old castles including poltergeist cases, strictly concealed by former communistic regime.   He became to be known to Czech public thanks to his lectures and audiovisual performances “Beautiful mysteries of our planet”, whitch performed with Brumlik all around Czech republic in period 1980 till 1990, and captured interest of public for still unsolved mysteries. After fall of the Totalitarian Communist regime in 1989 and with begining of freedom, he started to organise expeditions to diferent parts of the World in the search for monsters and mysteries. The range of his interest is wide from cryptozoology over forteana, historical mysteries to paranormal phenomena and parapsychology. He makes documentary films about his expeditions. In 1998 till 2000 he acted as consultant for TV series Záhady a mystéria (Enigmas and mysteries) in Television Prima. in the years1998 till 2002.

In the years 1998 till 2002 he has been a chairman of editorial council of Czech magazine “Fantastická fakta” (Fantastic Facts) writting about strange phenomena. Currently he is explorer and freelance publicist and writer about mysteries and forteana phenomena. He has written a number of books and is a longstanding contributor to many Czech magazines. Some of his articles was published also in FATE magazine or ForteanTimes magazine. Outside mysteries Ivan Mackerle´s interest include historical military vehicles and with his son Danny, driving their amphibious Volkswagen 166 (Schwimmwagen) from 2.World War.