Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ...
Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ... Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ...
The whole trial was effected by communist propaganda. In factories, offices, and even schools where people got tickets to enter the courtroom, working people were taken there by buses. 14 The trial was extraordinary also for its public acceptance. After the first three days the court was swamped with appeals from factories, offices, and towns. All of them demanded cruel punishment and most of them for the death penalty. Similar appeals had been even voted on by pupils at some primary schools. The whole thing went so far that the accused peoples’ kids were forced to disown their own parents 15 . Although the process was prepared in detail, its continuance sometimes got out of the hands of organizers and the accused worked to defend themselves at court, trying to disprove some accusations. The whole trial lasted for nine days. Each day, after the court was over, people from the secret police were meeting members of government, evaluating the run of the day. The whole process ended with 4 death penalties and none of the protests from abroad helped avert the executions. 16 Another group of people who often got high sentences were clergy and catholic intellectuals. The Catholic Church was gradually becoming an object for persecution since the spring of 1949. In December 1949, an alleged miracle happened in a small village named Čihošť in Eastern Bohemia. During the mass, given by priest Josef Toufar, a half-meter-long cross (19 inches), placed on the great altar, moved a couple times from side to side. This event was recorded in the history of the country as the “Čihošť miracle.“ The secret police locked up pastor Toufar in January 1950. During the process they started with him, he was supposed to “confess” that he staged the cross’s movement. He was tortured and as a result of the torture he died on February 25, 1950. Right after this event, another process started that consisted of members of male monastic orders. Among the representatives was the Abbot of Želiva Monastery – Vít Tajovský. On April 4, 1950 the state court had a trial with ten men accused of disrupting the state. Final sentences ranged from 2 years of imprisonment to life. National Defense Corps and peoples’ militias unexpectedly occupied male monasteries at night from April 13 to 14, 1950. This campaign was known as “Action K.” 219 religious houses were liquidated and 2376 monks jailed. A similar destiny was then waiting for the nuns of the country. The universities and colleges, where future Czechoslovakian intelligence was growing-up, were not left out from pursuit either. On March 4, 1948 a meeting of teachers and professors was held at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy at Charles University. So-called “reactive” teachers and students were suspended. The only person who stood up against that decision was the art historian professor Růžena Vacková. 17 She paid for her courage and ended up in prison for fifteen years. 14 This “theater” with monster processes is remembered also by Josef Čech, “Here in Pardubice they ran the monster processes in the Grand hotel. That does not exist any more, but it was the biggest hall in the town for 400 or 500 people. They were giving us tickets to that. People used to go to watch the processes and they were so fanatic that they would really see criminals in those victims. There were for example businessmen who just hid their fabrics and were later detected as “fat cats” who wanted to earn during a crisis. They paid for the fabric and they were just saving it for a better moment to sell it!” 15 The stories of children whose parents were arrested can be found at http://www.enemysdaughters.com/ 16 Many smaller processes started all over the country after this one. In 35 processes 639 people were sentenced, 10 people to the death penalty and 48 were sentenced to life. 17 Růžena Vacková (1901 – 1982) – a professor of classical archeology, the estetician and kunsthistorician. She studied archeology at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague. During WWII she participated in illegal activities. In 1947 she was named an adjuct professor of the university. In February 1948 she was the only professor taking part in the anti- Communism demonstrations of students, in the first term of the academic year 1950 – 51 she could not teach, February 22, 1952 she was arrested and sentenced to 22 years in prison. She was released in spring 1967 and in 1969 she was fully rehabilitated, in 1971 she was derehabilitated. In January 1977 she was one of the first to sign the statement of Charter 77. October 28, 1992 she was posthumously honoured with the Decoration of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Czechoslovak Political Prisoners 13
Political processes were launched against all sections of society and did not miss even the main representatives of the Communist Party. From 1950 the State secret police concentrated on “Searching for the enemy even among its own.” The leading communist investigated was the General Secretary of the Communist Party Rudolf Slánský 18 . His process was nothing special in the Eastern Communist block. Similar processes were run in other countries as well. In Hungary the Foreign Minister Laszlo Rajko was sentenced, in Bulgaria it was Trajčo Kostov, in Poland Wladyslav Gomulka. After months of physical force and never ending trials, all of the accused people in the process with Slánský got together at the courthouse in Pankrác. The trial took place from November 20th – 27th, 1952. All of the accused had to memorize their testimonies, which were written by investigators. All of them had to rehearse a couple of times before the main trial. The process was strongly supported throughout the whole country, more then 8500 people openly supported the sentences, out of which a majority voted for the death penalty. There were fourteen people on trial, besides General Secretary Slánský there were also Vladimír Clementis, the Foreign Minister Artur London 19 , the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Karel Šváb, the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. All these people stood high in the communist hierarchy. Finally, eleven death penalties were passed and all sentences were executed on November 3 rd in the morning hours at Pankrác prison. Ashes of the condemned were scattered by members of the secret police on a road near Prague. Methods and techniques of State secret police investigations “You are arrested” were the words that changed lives of tens of thousands of people. The words meant a complete turning point in their lives. After these words one fell into another world all of a sudden and was interrogated by the secret police (StB). Trials and interrogations hardly ever took place without psychological and physical violence and terror 20 . Using cruel methods was indirectly recommended at meetings and for the training of investigators. It even became a part of the criteria for their work evaluation. Investigators who were not meeting the required effects and did not use enough violence or did not use it with enough power, were considered weak and incapable. Why were these cruel and inhuman methods, with psychological compulsion and physical violence used, explains the before-mentioned inspector Bohumil Doubek this way, “Since we had no convincing evidence or testimony, Karel Košťál 21 and I were told, that a sophisticated enemy and experienced spy does not leave any material or proof and we have to push him to confession. We were also told that these kinds of people are very obstinate and we cannot give them time to get ready for trials. The consultants were emphasizing the need to tire the person’ s nerves out, make him sure that he has no chance to be saved and point out that confession can give him at least some kind of advantage.” 22 18 Rudolf Slánský (1901 – 1952) – Czech communist politician, member of the Central Commitee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and General Secretary of the party (1945 – 1951). 19 Artur London wrote his memories on the time of investigating a book Doznání (Admission). 20 Jindřich Veselý (the investigator) said, “Doctor, have you ever been kicked by a horse? Then he punched me so hard that I had to go up about three meters high in the air. After that, I don’t know how, but they burned my palms. My whole palms were burned except the place in the middle and all the burns turned to blisters. I also had a cut on my cheek, which already disappeared. After sometime a bump appeared right behind my ear, which was full of blood and pus. From that time I couldn’t hear from that ear.“ (see the interview with Dr. Jan Pospíšil). 21 Karel Košťál – secret police investigator and the General Secretary to the Minister of Internal Affairs. 22 KAPLAN, Karel. Nebezpečná bezpečnost. (Dangerous security). Brno: Doplněk, 1999, s. 239. 14
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<strong>Political</strong> processes were launched against all sections of society and did not miss even the<br />
main representatives of the Communist Party. From 1950 the State secret police concentrated on<br />
“Searching for the enemy even among its own.” The leading communist investigated was the<br />
General Secretary of the Communist Party Rudolf Slánský 18 . His process was nothing special in<br />
the Eastern Communist block. Similar processes were run in other countries as well. In Hungary<br />
the Foreign Minister Laszlo Rajko was sentenced, in Bulgaria it was Trajčo Kostov, in Poland<br />
Wladyslav Gomulka. After months of physical force and never ending trials, all of the accused<br />
people in the process with Slánský got together at the courthouse in Pankrác. The trial took<br />
place from November 20th – 27th, 1952. All of the accused had to memorize their testimonies,<br />
which were written by investigators. All of them had to rehearse a couple of times before the<br />
main trial. The process was strongly supported throughout the whole country, more then 8500<br />
people openly supported the sentences, out of which a majority voted for the death penalty.<br />
There were fourteen people on trial, besides General Secretary Slánský there were also<br />
Vladimír Clementis, the Foreign Minister Artur London 19 , the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs<br />
and Karel Šváb, the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. All these people stood high in the<br />
communist hierarchy. Finally, eleven death penalties were passed and all sentences were executed<br />
on November 3 rd in the morning hours at Pankrác prison. Ashes of the condemned were<br />
scattered by members of the secret police on a road near Prague.<br />
Methods and techniques of State secret police investigations<br />
“You are arrested” were the words that changed lives of tens of thousands of people. The<br />
words meant a complete turning point in their lives. After these words one fell into another<br />
world all of a sudden and was interrogated by the secret police (StB). Trials and interrogations<br />
hardly ever took place without psychological and physical violence and terror 20 . Using cruel<br />
methods was indirectly recommended at meetings and for the training of investigators. It even<br />
became a part of the criteria for their work evaluation. Investigators who were not meeting<br />
the required effects and did not use enough violence or did not use it with enough power,<br />
were considered weak and incapable.<br />
Why were these cruel and inhuman methods, with psychological compulsion and physical<br />
violence used, explains the before-mentioned inspector Bohumil Doubek this way, “Since we<br />
had no convincing evidence or testimony, Karel Košťál 21 and I were told, that a sophisticated<br />
enemy and experienced spy does not leave any material or proof and we have to push him to<br />
confession. We were also told that these kinds of people are very obstinate and we cannot<br />
give them time to get ready for trials. The consultants were emphasizing the need to tire the<br />
person’ s nerves out, make him sure that he has no chance to be saved and point out that confession<br />
can give him at least some kind of advantage.” 22<br />
18 Rudolf Slánský (1901 – 1952) – Czech communist politician, member of the Central Commitee of the Communist Party<br />
of <strong>Czechoslovak</strong>ia and General Secretary of the party (1945 – 1951).<br />
19 Artur London wrote his memories on the time of investigating a book Doznání (Admission).<br />
20 Jindřich Veselý (the investigator) said, “Doctor, have you ever been kicked by a horse? Then he punched me so hard<br />
that I had to go up about three meters high in the air. After that, I don’t know how, but they burned my palms. My whole<br />
palms were burned except the place in the middle and all the burns turned to blisters. I also had a cut on my cheek, which<br />
already disappeared. After sometime a bump appeared right behind my ear, which was full of blood and pus. From that<br />
time I couldn’t hear from that ear.“ (see the interview with Dr. Jan Pospíšil).<br />
21 Karel Košťál – secret police investigator and the General Secretary to the Minister of Internal Affairs.<br />
22 KAPLAN, Karel. Nebezpečná bezpečnost. (Dangerous security). Brno: Doplněk, 1999, s. 239.<br />
14
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