Hello Steemians
we celebrate the 17th November as a public holiday.
17th November - International Students Day - it is the only internationally admitted day having its origin in the Czech Republic. In 1939 when was our country occupied by Nazi's Germany there was repressed demonstration to anniversary of Czechoslovakia foundation by police and SS forces. There died two people - one of them was a student Jan Opletal. After his funeral students demonstrated again. The next day Hitler let close Czech universities, five leaders were executed and about 1200 students were transported into concentration camp. Two years later International Students Council in London declared the 17th November as International Students' Day.
Fifty years later, on 17th November 1989, was calm procession of students blocked by barrier of communist police, many people were beaten by batons. After this incident people started to gather also in other cities, chanting slogans against communist regime. Czechoslovakia joined to Poland, East Germany and Hungary, where the protests started sooner. People at demonstrations were wearing blue-red-white tricolore on their coats, hailing each other with fingers in "V" as a victory and ringing with keys as a challenge for communists resignation. In December was established new government with ministers who weren't members of communist party and also into the parliament were nominated new members. Finally communist president Husak abdicated and parliament elected Vaclav Havel as a new president on 29th of December. His New Years Address to the Nations was printed also in foreign newspapers (edited vesion of his speech: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel#New_Year.27s_Address_to_the_Nation_.281990.29 ). In June 1990 we had free parliamental elections, first after 54 years. This period is also called The Velvet Revolution. Except of the 17th November the replacing of the communist regime passed off vry calmly.
In these days is 17th December mainly celebrated by students again. There was Concert for the Future held in Prague as a part of celebration, through Brno came a lantern procession. This day is also used as an expression of disagreement with the president and politics establishment.
Have a nice day!
Ahoj Steemiťáci
Letos jsem 17.listopad strávil v práci. Po návratu jsem trochu zavzpomínal a sesmolil k tématu článek v angličtině. Mimo jiné jsem si přečetl Havlův první prezidentský projev z 1.1.1990 a až mě zamrazilo, jak byl nadčasový!
V roce 1989 jsem chodil do sedmé třídy. Ve výuce se nás změny dost dotkly, hodně učitelek najednou nevědělo, co má učit. Tak třeba v občanské výuce jsme v hodině hráli pinec a byli jen dozorováni. Také skončila výuka ruštiny, což mě osobně celkem mrzelo a nebyl klasifikován dějepis. Ze školy se poroučela ředitelka (učila právě ruštinu a dějepis a jako pedagožka byla nadprůměrná) a její zástupkyně (jedna echt soudružka a druhá velice oblíbená). Taky si vzpomínám, že jsem byl s našima a jedním kamarádem na demonstraci na Svoboďáku (kupodivu se náměstí jmenovalo stejně i za komunistů), ale moc si z toho nepamatuju, a jednou v lidském řetězu z náměstí svobody k bohunické věznici za propuštění politického vězně Petra Cibulky, poněkud vyšinuté a politováníhodné osoby, jak se později ukázalo . Sestra má na tu dobu vzpomínky pestřejší. Studovala v té době lékařskou fakultu a byla ve stávkovém výboru. Každopádně bylo všudypřítomné nadšení lidí a šíření pozitivní energie.
Hezký den!
A přidávám fotku z loňského studentského lampioňáku.