Lumír Čmerda

„That Ostrava was really red, that was just fantastic. While the whole country disliked the occupants and avoided them too, the mayor of Ostrava gave the Russian, actually the Soviet commander, the best offices on the same floor as the office of the mayor was, or it was a primary´s. Also then Kempný ended up in the central committee, a big head. That was due to the fact he let Mr. general sit in the next door office. In Ostrava it was impossible to stay so I said to myself: My goodness, I am from Smíchov so why should I suffer in Ostrava begging for some fine artistic activity. So I will return to Prague and we will see.”

“The commission named me. So I learnt from the commission I was meant to meet with such and such architect, who had a task for me to do in an interesting house; they did not say which one. So I went to see him and he told me all. He was a bit communist and his mother was employed at the central committee of the communist party and that is why he got such a big job. So I listened to him and he explained to me, what the SNB and revolutionary traditions museum was and that there have to be the state signs and I should take that in account and I replied: ,Mr. architect there are only two options. Either, there will be state signs of the seven states and I will not work on this job. Or else, I will do the job but the signs will not be there. It is up to you to choose.‘ And he said: ,Well I was ordered to insist on the signs, but try it your way anyway.‘“