When we visited Czechoslovakia in 1982 we were able to visit a man and his wife in Prague. We got his name from our minister and another member of our church. The man, Jiri, showed us around Prague for two days. It was a wonderful visit, and afterwards we stayed in touch with him, exchanging letters and cards over the years. We were even able to visit with him again when all four of us went to Prague in 1994.
But the one thing we noted when we met him in 1982 was that he did not talk about politics. Architecture, historic buildings, subways, etc., were what we talked about. (He was an urban planner.) When we visited in 1982, I told him I wanted to see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was from a window in this building that Jan Masaryk fell to his death in March of 1948. Jan Masaryk was Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia and son of Tomas Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia. Did Jan Masaryk commit suicide or was he pushed by the Communists? It is still a controversy today. It would have been an even bigger controversy back in 1982, but Jiri did not acknowledge it – perhaps because it was too dangerous to talk politics with foreigners.
Then, in December of 1989 we received this letter from Jiri:
"Prague, December 9, 1989
Dear Friends:
We are sending you our best greetings from our country, which is trying to get rid of the evil that was oppressing us for more than forty years. We wish you could feel the splendid atmosphere of joy and euphoria that dominates in Prague these days. There are many meetings and protest demonstrations in the squares and streets of Prague and other towns, the shop-windows and the walls of the metro stations are full of posters with declarations, news and warnings /against the provocateurs/. We could feel a great tension among the people before and the brutal intervention by the police was a spark that set fire to a vast, spontaneous resistance movement against the outrage of the ruling power. The totalitarian, one-party system was abolished at last, however, the fight against the evil forces has not finished yet. There are still many people living in fright, especially in the country, where there are still many smaller dictators in their functions. Notwithstanding, I am convinced that all ends well. I think that we have reached more in three weeks than we could ever have expected:
– amnesty for all political prisoners
– cut out of the article in our Constitution that secured a leading role of the Communist party
– forced resignation of the leading Communist party-men who are responsible for the bad social and economic state in our country
– sweeping of marxismus-leninismus away from our schools
– deep changes in our Federal and National Governments
– promise of free elections
– freedom of speech, religion and of the press, etc.
The events are rapidly following one another – what was a sensational news yesterday is surpassed by another one today.
Our popular artists and once damned /by the communists/ politicians speak to us on TV, on the radio and at many meetings to encourage the people in their fight for freedom. The first big battle has been won: the opponent was surprised by the very rapid succession of events and by the vigour of the protest demonstrations, however, he is beginning to marshal his forces now. The fight may last longer than can be expected. Only free elections will ensure our full victory. It is hope that they can take placed in the middle of the next year.
We consider it a shame that our country of high culture could have had political prisoners. Nothing like that must come again. We must guard our liberty and Masaryk ideals with greater vehemence now. The highest apparatchicks were forced to go, however, there are still thousands on lower levels – in counties, districts, towns and smaller communities. It will take some time before all undesirable functionaries are replaced on all levels of the administration.
We have traveled a lot this year – we toured West Germany and Switzerland in May and spent a beautiful fortnight on the island of Malta in July. Who could have thought that this nice place would be a meeting place of Mr. Bush and M.. Gorbachev a few months later! We are disquieted by what is happening in the USSR. We would be very sorry for M. Gorbachev should he not succeed in his efforts. We owe him very much.
I have written you in brief what has happened in our country since November 17. We feel like being on a merry-go-round and do not know what to do first.
Jiri and Nadja"
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