Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ...

was one of the biggest experiences of their lives. The majority of them admit that if they would
not have spent a part of their life in prison they would have missed a special experience and reality
in their lives. If they should decide again, whether they would be politically active against
the state or whether they would sit home in peace they would want to fight again against the
communist regime. They would say that it was a good decision even for the high price they
had to pay for it.
Some of them reconciled to their destinies, “I left the prison completely reconciled. I don’t
think I was even mad. I wasn’t even mad, furthermore, to accuse the regime and the Communists
and god knows what else, not at all. I accepted these nine years right after the trial,“
remembers Mr. Fučík. This demanded a huge inner energy and power of the person.
The most beautiful answer to my question, “What did the prison take from you and give to
you?” was answered by Mr. Macek. I was not able to describe these feelings better and so here
I’m giving word to the witness. “Prison influenced my life 100 % and it gave me a base for my
values for the rest of my life, thanks to being in prison I was able to meet an amazing value
of friendship that was born during such terrible conditions. It didn’t matter who was who, but
what was the person like and how can you trust and rely on him and how much did he fight for
his friends. For example, Lada Majer was able to climb over the barbed wire of the solitary confinement
in camp Nikolaj. It was freezingly difficult and he was risking his own life in front of
the machine guns just to throw me a piece of bread, tobacco, and newspaper to wrap a couple
cigarettes through my window. These we called “balenky,” that were appeasing hunger and
I also got a thing called “cunder” to light it up. Why did he do that? Explain it to someone who
didn’t go through that? These are values and memories for your whole life and for the rest of
your life you really have to recall all of these things. Then you can understand that if you meet
these people as a free man, there is no wonder that you will have tears in your eyes and that
you will be standing as a weakling, without words and a hug. If there wasn’t prison I would
have never lived this and it wouldn’t have shaken me.
The prison gave me a chance to meet the most beautiful and intelligent of our nation and
the chats with our people allowed me to learn what wasn’t learned before. During that time
I still had to realize that I had a lot to catch and make up for. I’m really telling you the truth
when I don’t regret the time spent in the prisons and the working camps, because even the terrible
moments gave us a chance to wake up. …I’m not a writer or poet and I can not describe
what I feel in my heart when my thoughts stray into that time. All I know is that I’m not the
only one that feels it like this. This is proven by our meetings that are really unique. I would
be happy if our nation would find out that these are the people that are the most pressing
gemstones. What to tell to the Bolsheviks? We don’t feel hate towards you, but more disdain!
You are aware of the crimes you did, but only to gain power you are willing to commit them
again. I feel sorry for you because you do not know what you are missing!
What did the prison take from me, well that’s twelve years of life, nothing else. Although it’s
not a lot, the positive side is so high above the loss, that these seem to be just trifles.”
The previous words are proof that not even long-term imprisonment can break the human
spirit. If one can elevate above the hardships and humiliation that means the over throw of
the regime. From our point of view, these are the words that are most worth writing down.
We should always bare them in mind when speaking about political prisoners in the 1950’s in
Czechoslovakia.
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