Hana Hajnová

* 1945

  • "Back then, maternity leave wasn't as long as it is now. I then had to look for a job and in my CV I had to express my relationship to the entry of the military troops. Fortunately, I was able to write it off by blaming it all on motherhood. And it happened that the person was taking care of the child and the external situation was a bit pushed aside. Of course, everyone watched it carefully and had definite opinions in the family. My husband had to go to the background check and say if he agreed or disagreed. He tried to convince them that he was a pacifist and that he rejected anything armed. However, they agreed with several colleagues that on the first anniversary, August 21, they would go to work in black clothes. The brave ones were gone, only two came, my husband and one more colleague. They immediately had to go to explain. Fortunately, he had a good boss over him, who confirmed that he usually goes to work in black clothes, which was not true."

  • "My closest colleague was a certain Mrs. Hendlová, whose husband was a diplomat from the First Republic, she had three children. But her husband was arrested most of her life. You could see that the leader had a protective hand over such people. The former owners and politically unreliable people, by that it was all more interesting. She was indeed a very intelligent lady, she spoke several languages. Then we wallowed in the dirt together, but we didn't stay close to the ground. We talked or sang together and it was great."

  • "When I was younger and we were in Znojmo, we had a radio in the kitchen, which we often listened to together. And I noticed such a strange horror in the eyes of my father and mother, when they listened to the condemning trials of Slánský. Dad had his ear glued to the radio. You could tell by watching them that something was happening. The child, even if he doesn't understand it, will sense it.'

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    Studio v Liberci, 07.05.2022

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A student issued a report card from the revolution to them. You are brave, my parents would not tolerate this

Hana with her grandmother Anna Blažková, 1948
Hana with her grandmother Anna Blažková, 1948
photo: archive of the witness

Hana Hajnová, née Hladká, was born on December 6, 1945 in Prague. Her father František Hladký was an officer. The family was moving. In 1957, they moved permanently to Turnov, the birthplace of the mother Květuše Hladká. Hana Hajnová graduated from the Secondary School of Arts and Industry in Turnov (SUPŠ), majoring in silversmithing. After school, she joined Prague’s Kovotep, where opponents of the regime worked. In the spring of 1968, she married Karel Hajn, they lived in Turnov. She went on maternity leave on August 21, 1968, and her son Kryštof was born a month later. The Hajns moved around dissident circles. They were interested in spiritual development, anthroposophy. Hana worked in a kindergarten. In November 1989, Karel Hajn was an active member of the Civic Forum. After the Velvet Revolution, Hana Hajnová began intensively studying Waldorf pedagogy. In 1990, she co-founded the first Waldorf kindergarten in the Czech Republic, and in 2000, the first Waldorf Family Center – Náruč in the Czech Republic. In retirement, she still devoted herself to Waldorf pedagogy. In 2022, she lived in Turnov.