Jiří SOZANSKÝ - Monument

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

—

The Legacy of the Two August Anniversaries

Jiří SOZANSKÝ

—August 1968 1969

The events of August 1968 were both ocially tabooed and rewritten by the state authorities

over the next two decades. Yet they remained an ever-present symbol. However, only

Charter 77 mentioned them, as well as it demanded, ever more assertively, the withdrawal

of Soviet troops from the country. The power of memory manifested itself in 1988, when it

was the commemoration of August 1968 that brought people to the squares and gradually

freed them from fear.

August 1969 became the impetus for the creation of a mechanism for suppressing public

civil discontent, for the establishment of administrative and management procedures and

fast-response security forces. In fact, August 1969 foreshadowed the demonstrations of the

late 1980s. In 1969, the state authorities used the most brutal means, punishing opponents

existentially, occupationally and by denying them education. The state power had to react to the

demonstrations of the late 1980s more cautiously, although there were exceptions to that, too.

After 1989, the events of the late 1960s could nally be freely researched, published and

commemorated. In addition to the general moral satisfaction for the victims and those who

fought, the compensation for the injured and the survivors of the victims had practical value.

Much of the work in the public realm was done by the municipalities that set up memorial

plaques, often modest and simple. In fact, that is the only tribute these brave fellow citizens

have received.

Through no fault of their own, they became victims of awar unleashed by aforeign power.

Many of these unarmed people then took deliberately to the streets to protest against the

invasion of their country or even to oppose the occupation with their bare hands. In 1969,

they were the only ones defending civil liberties…

The Prague Spring represented an opportunity to breathe more freely after twenty years. It

was ahope for living alife with fewer restrictions, for righting wrongs and even for free travel.

These hopes were dashed by the night of 20–21 August 1968. The people of Czechoslovakia

ooded the streets protesting not only against violence, humiliation and injustice, but also

against the thwarting of their hopes.

The people of Czechoslovakia stood united against the illegal occupation in the days of

August. The army was ordered not to resist, but even so many soldiers, according to their

capabilities, resisted or prepared to resist. The main programme was to stand rm and

achieve the withdrawal of troops from the country. Neither of these objectives was achieved.

August 1968 was to be remembered as an injustice and adisgrace, amoment when we did

not defend ourselves (again). But it was also remembered as atime of civil deance, unity

and determination. The way politicians behaved in this situation should not be forgotten,

though. Although they had the support of the nation, whose motto was “we are with you”,

they clearly were not with the nation. The occupation in August 1968 and the months that

followed represent an important historical lesson: it is necessary to make responsible

decisions on important matters and to consistently hold the position. That is how you win,

even without weapons. And as far as the aggressor is concerned, the lesson is: the aggressor

never appreciates good will.

From August to the end of 1968, 137 deaths were recorded. The casualties on the summer

streets of cities of profound peace were the most visible evidence of the consequences of

the violent occupation. Thousands of people suered severe and minor injuries. And, as if the

casualties, injuries, and all sorts of other suering had not been enough, they must not have

been mentioned for twenty years. Many others then suered wounds to their souls, and later

– to their character.

Ayear after the military intervention, the Central Group of Soviet troops remained “temporarily”

stationed on the territory of Czechoslovakia. Promises of continued reform obscured the

essential: the return of arigid pro-Moscow Communist government.

During the events of August 1969, the tanks of the foreign invaders remained “vigilantly idle”.

They were replaced by the equipment of the Czechoslovak security forces, the army and the

Communist paramilitary – the People’s Militia. There were violent clashes as well as silent

commemorations in many cities of Czechoslovakia. In Prague and Brno, atotal of ve young

citizens were killed by rearms on 20 and 21 August 1969. Hundreds of demonstrators were

injured and thousands were arrested and imprisoned. The dirty work was left to the members

of Czechoslovak armed forces, who received praise and rewards for their eorts. None of

them were ever punished for their crimes.

The demonstrations against the emerging “normalisation” in August 1969 remain deeply

overshadowed by the events of August 1968. In the summer of 1968, aforeign power sought

to impose its will on aunited country and to suppress eorts for longed-for change. Resistance

then meant patriotism. Ayear later, in the interests of foreign power, the country’s own state and

political power sought to restore the Communists’ rm grip on power and to push the blatant

lie of occupation as truth. Society was slowly dividing into the pragmatists and the broken on

the one side, and the opponents of the emerging totalitarianism on the other. The protesters of

August 1969 were the real defenders of freedom and truth. For this, they were defamed, vilied

and punished. The tragedy was that these ghters acted spontaneously, without leadership and

without aprogramme. That is why this massive protest eventually died out.

August 1969 is one of the symbols of “normalisation”. It paved way to personnel purges,

censorship, border closures, restrictions on freedoms and arenewed centralisation of power.

The events surrounding the rst anniversary of August 1968 can literally be described as

“days of shame”. Not only for the very fact of the occupation but also for the betrayal of

many political leaders on their own citizens. Such moments are part of our history. We must

remember them and learn from them.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT —1968

HISTORICAL CONTEXT —1969

ANTONÍN ABRAHAM

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PAVEL ALBERT

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JAN BABOROVSKÝ

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JÁN BAJTOŠ

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VÁCLAV BALOUN

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MIROSLAV BERÁNEK

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JOSEF BOHÁČ

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JOZEF BONK

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BOHUMIL BOUČEK

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VINCENC BŘEZINA

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JOSEF BULÍK

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ŠTEFAN CIBERAJ

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OLAF ČERMÁK

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MIROSLAV ČÍŽEK

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PAVEL DAVÍDEK

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VILIAM DEBNÁR

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ZDENĚK

DRAGOUN

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JOSEF FIALKA

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PETR FRIDRICH

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VÁCLAV FRYDRYCHOVSKÝ

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MILAN

FULIER

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RUDOLF GAVORNÍK

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JAROSLAV HÁJEK

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LUDĚK HÁJEK

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MICHAL

HAMRÁK

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JOSEF HANUS

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MILOŠ HAŠEK

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JÁN HATALA

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PAVOL HLAVÁČ

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VLADIMÍR HNULÍK

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JÁN HOLÍK

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EMIL HORČÍK

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BARTOLOMEJ HORVÁTH

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KAREL CHALUPA

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MARIE CHAROUSKOVÁ

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JAROMÍR CHLUP

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MIROSLAV

CHLUP

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NADĚŽDA CHLUPOVÁ

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ROSALIE CHOCHOLÍNOVÁ

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ELEMÍR JANOŠKO

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ANTONÍN JARUŠEK

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JAN JENŠOVSKÝ

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BEDŘIŠKA KADEŘÁBKOVÁ

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MILAN

KADLEC

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JOZEF KADURA

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ALOIS KAHOUN

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JAN KAKOS

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LUDVÍK KAMENEC

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JÁN KLAČKA

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JIŘÍ KLAPKA

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ZDEŇKA KLIMEŠOVÁ

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FRANTIŠEK KLŮC

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BOHUMIL KOBR

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JOZEF KOLESÁR

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MICHAL KORENKO

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MARGITA DANA

KOŠANOVÁ

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JINDŘICH KRAHULEC

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JAROSLAV KRAUS

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LADISLAV KRBEC

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JAROSLAV KUBEŠ

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JINDŘICH KULIŠ

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ANTONÍN LACINA

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IVAN LAITA

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MILAN

LAMPER

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LADISLAV LANG

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JÁN LÁSZLO

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PETER LEGNER

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JOZEF LEVÁK

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EVA LIVEČKOVÁ

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RŮŽENA LUSKOVÁ

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JAN LUZAR

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JAROSLAV MACEK

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MILAN

MALEČKA

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MIROSLAV MÁLEK

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LADISLAV MARTONÍK

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HELENA MIŤKOVÁ

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JIŘÍ MODR

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FRANTIŠEK MOŠTENICKÝ

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MARIO MUSICH

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FILIP MUŠEC

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KAREL

NĚMEC

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EDUARD NETUŠIL

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FRANTIŠEK NOVÁK

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JAROSLAV NOVÁK

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MÁRIA

OČOVANOVÁ

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JAROSLAV ONDREJKO

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ONDREJ OPRENDEK

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JAROSLAV PÁNÍK

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KAREL PARIŠEK

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LADISLAV PAŘÍZEK

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MILAN PAULÍK

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JÁN PETRUCHA

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LUBOMÍR PÍCL

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JAROSLAV PODRABSKÝ

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LUDĚK POKORNÝ

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ZDENĚK PŘÍHODA

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HELENA PULKRÁBKOVÁ

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JOSEF REICHL

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VIKTORIA RYBÁROVÁ

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BEDŘICH

ŘEPA

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MARTA ŘÍHOVSKÁ

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ŠTEFAN SABOL

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MÁRIA SABOVÁ

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VÁCLAV SADILEK

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JÁN SEKEL

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IVAN SCHMIEDT

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STANISLAV SIVÁK

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FRANTIŠEK SOKOL

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BOHUMÍR SOUKUP

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MIROSLAV STACHURA

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RUDOLF STARÝ

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LUBOŠ STOJEC

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ILJA SUŠÁNKOVÁ

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JOZEF SZVITYEL

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IGNÁC ŠABLATÚRA

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FRANTIŠEK ŠIMEK

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DAGMAR ŠKAVOVÁ

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LADISLAV ŠÚŇ

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JAROSLAV ŠVEC

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DOMINIK TEPLAN

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ALOISIE TOMŠÍKOVÁ

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KAROL TÓTH

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ANNA TRECHOVÁ

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OTTO TROUSIL

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ANNA ULICKÁ

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BOHUMIL VEJPUSKÝ

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LEOPOLD VERWALTER

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BOŽENA VESELÁ

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JAROSLAV VESELÝ

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STANISLAV VESELÝ

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MARIE VODÁKOVÁ

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MARTIN VONKA

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ZDENĚK WINTER

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ŠTEFAN ZDECHOVAN

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BORIS ZINOVJEV

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ALOJZ ZSIGÁRDY

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JOSEF ŽEMLIČKA

Victims of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact armies,

21 August – 31 December 1968. 288 more people died as aresult of the

occupation of Czechoslovakia by Soviet troops from 1969 to 1991.

Atotal of 425 Czechoslovak citizens lost their lives.

TEXT ON THE MONUMENT —1968

FRANTIŠEK KOHOUT – 18 years old

Shot to death on 20 August 1969

VLADIMÍR KRUBA – 19 years old

Shot to death on 20 August 1969

DANUŠE MUZIKÁŘOVÁ – 18 years old

Shot to death on 21 August 1969

STANISLAV VALEHRACH – 28 years old

Shot to death on 21 August 1969

BOHUMIL SYŘÍNEK – 14 years old

Died of agunshot wound on 24 August 1969

BOHUSLAVA MAZNÁ – 27 years old

Died after acollision with an armoured vehicle on 24 August 1969

August 1969 marks the denitive end of the hopes of 1968. The protesting citizens did

not want to stand idly by and watch the complete denial of everything they believed

in and hoped for since the spring of 1968. Mostly young people stood courageously

against tens of thousands of armed police, militiamen and soldiers armed with tanks

and armoured personnel carriers. It was the new political leadership of the state,

which had betrayed the citizens’ desire to live in afreer country, who sent them into

the streets against their own people. There were dead in the streets. Hundreds of

people suered injuries, many of them serious ones.

A year after the insidious invasion of Czechoslovakia, the state leaders and their

armed forces became obedient tools of the Soviet occupiers. The brutal terror and

shootings were followed by waves of repression, purges and existential sanctions.

The repression was precipitated by the adoption of alegal measure by the Presidium

of the Federal Assembly on 22 august 1969, known as the “baton law”. It was signed

by the same politicians whom the citizens trusted in 1968.

During the rst anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1969,

the following people died:

May this memorial be areminder of the courage of some and the betrayal of others.

Music by M. Pavlíček, D. Hašková

TEXT ON THE MONUMENT —1969