The trigger for the socio-political changes in 1989 was the march of the students of that time. Later, 17 November was declared the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy. Battles did not rage in the streets in the true sense of the word. And although the revolution was called Velvet Revolution, many people suffered injuries, often of a more permanent nature, as a result of their participation in the march, which had a major impact on the history of our country.
"While escaping through a well-known alleyway in an arcade at the corner of Mikulandská Street, I was beaten quite brutally, one blow from a baton aimed at my head set my arm and I suffered a fractured ulna," Prof. Jan Marek described that November day for the faculty website. "I remember in great detail that I was left sitting in shock on the pavement behind the National Theatre for quite a long time. I had lost Alice. I don't remember exactly how I got home, I think someone found me and my neighbours came to get me. The next day I was treated after the X-ray and I still have the cast," says Prof. Marek.
"On 17 November I was serving in the hospital, and so I arranged anonymous treatment for people injured at Národní, including our colleague Honza Marek, whose forearm was broken by a baton. On Saturday, we walked around Prague with Honza Marek, Honza Janoušek and our German colleague Peter Kinzel, who was an organiser of the demonstrations in Leipzig, and thought about what to do next. We parted ways in the early evening at St. Wenceslas Square in a still surprised Prague, when nothing big was happening, and expressed the wish that ten thousand people would gather here on Monday, and it happened," MUDr. Pavel Vepřek recalled some time ago.
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„"On Friday, 17 November 1989, in the early afternoon, I went from Motol Hospital to Albertov, where an officially permitted student demonstration was beginning to commemorate the victims of Nazi atrocities in the autumn of 1939. I knew from friends in the Circle of Independent Intellectuals, whose activities and meetings I had attended in 1989, that this was not just an official commemoration of International Student Day. That is why I was not surprised that years later I saw some of the student leaders with whom we organised strikes and protests of students of Prague and Czech universities against the Soviet occupation and normalisation in autumn 1968," says Prof. Martin Bojar.
International Student Day
The idea to call a student rally to commemorate those who died after protesting against the Nazis in 1939 came at a time when Prague was flooded with East Germany citizens' Trabants. They were trying to get to the West via the Prague embassy of the former West Germany.
17 November had been commemorated as International Student Day since 1941. It was to commemorate the massacre of Czech students at the beginning of World War II.
In response to the previous student march on 28 October 1939, the Reich Protector Konstantin von Neurath ordered the closure of Czech universities. On the night of 16-17 November, the Gestapo arrested over a thousand students and teachers. Nine students, whom the Nazis identified as leaders of student associations, were shot in Ruzyně barracks. The Nazis sent 1,200 university students to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. 35 survived.
Places where students wrote history
The anniversaries of 1939 and 1989 are strongly connected with Charles University. That is why it invites you to visit Hlávka College and Albertov on 17 November, the places where students wrote history.
The traditional parade starts at 9.00 a.m. from Hlávka College and continues to the Jan Opletal Memorial Plaque in Žitná Street. It will then head to Albertov.
Programme of the 17th November commemoration in Albertov
10:00 Opening: associations and initiatives
12.00 Commemorative act and laying of wreaths
13:45 Performance of the Platform of Political Science Students
14:00 Political Science Debate: Velvet Divorce - Czech Republic and Slovakia after 30 years (guests: Magda Vášáryová, Petr Just, Michael Žantovský)
Detailed programme: www.svobodnylistopad.cz/albertov/
Throughout the week, there will also be events Thanks for letting us. The programme for Friday's celebrations at Korzo Národní can be found at www.korzonarodni.cz
