Even Long-term Imprisonment Cannot Break Human Spirit

People who were sentenced by communist justice, often to very long imprisonments, suddenly stood at the edge of society. They did not only have to spend their best years behind bars, but this pursuit was extended for the rest of their lives after release. They had difficulties  finding jobs, which they would deserve according to their education[1]. Despite this fact it is admirable that some of them were able to reconcile with this situation and they do not recall it with bitterness how we would expect. Jakub Antonín Zemek describes this, "It was hard but beautiful times. One could meet a lot of good, hard, high-principled and upright people."  Other people remember these times in a similar way, for example Tomas Sedláček says, "My time in prison offered me a chance to get to know myself.  What I am like and what I can bare.  I really found my possibilities and where is my potential bottom.  I was lucky that I went to prison in very good physical and psychological condition.  As I already mentioned I was always waking up with the motto, "Hold on!" and this really kept me above water.  Also, I met a lot of people who remained my friends for the rest of my life.  How I was able to go through my life with my conscience clear and my backbone straight is the thing for the others to judge.  I hope I managed it quite well." 

Others appreciated the experience they had a chance to develop in prison.  They mentioned they were influenced by great chance meetings with other people and the prison university, which deeply touched their lives.  The question that is easy to ask is will they ever forgive their incarcerators?  Hana Truncová replied, "To tell you from my own opinion, I have never forgiven them because they stole a huge piece of my life and I had my own plans that can never be given back.  I only wanted to live in freedom, travel, and do everything that would make me happy.  All of that was very limited."  We can not wonder about this, but on the other hand when these people are telling you about their imprisonment, you can feel this period was one of the biggest experiences of their lives.  The majority of them admit that if they wouldn't have spent a part of their life in prison they would have missed a special experience and an important turning point 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 required huge inner strength. 

The most beautiful answer to my question, "What did the prison take from you and give to you?" was answered by Mr. Macek.  I wasn't 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 learn the value of friendship that was born during such terrible conditions.  It didn't matter who was who, but what the person was 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?  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.  Without 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 I didn’t know before.  During that time I still had to realize that I had a lot to catch up on and make up for.  I'm really telling you the truth when I say 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 cannot 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 other former prisoners.  I would be happy if our nation would find out that these are the people that are very precious.  What to tell 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 prove that not even a 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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