The whole town fell silent and the tank turned its tunk barrel towards our balcony
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Jana Černá, née Zelková, was born on 28 August 1954 in Mariánské Lázně. She grew up in a family that faced political pressure because of her parents’ origins and activities. Her father Jan Zelko, originally from France, was a former member of Junák, while her mother Jarmila was the daughter of an emigrant to the USA. Jana graduated from high school in Mariánské Lázně in the early 1970s. Despite initial difficulties caused by personnel reasons, she was accepted to the Faculty of Law at Charles University, which she successfully completed. Later, she furthered her education with a doctorate in insurance. After her studies, Jana worked in Prague in the insurance department of the Keramika company. After returning to Mariánské Lázně, she changed several jobs, including a position in the Property Administration of ROH convalescent homes and as a controller in the municipal transport company. In the 1980s, her family was under State Security surveillance. The turning point in her life was November 1989, when she became actively involved in the activities of the Civic Forum in Mariánské Lázně. In the 1990s she became a member of the town council and served as deputy mayor. During her tenure, she was involved in important projects such as the construction of a retirement home in Úšovice and the establishment of a cemetery for fallen members of the German Wehrmacht, and faced threats for the controversial nature of this project. After leaving the post of deputy mayor, Jana Černá devoted herself to her law practice in Mariánské Lázně.
