Petr Štěpán

“I think it started. Meetings were held, we got theatre available, we were in the squares, there were discussions with politicians. We drove in pairs - at two in Semily, at four in Lomnica. Jiří Dienstbier, Václav Žák, Vavroušek, Bojar went there ... when I look back at it today, it was absolutely the happiest time in my life. And the question springs to mind: 'Did you believe this would happen?' Inside I believed it would happen. But that I would live to see it or that there would be a demonstration on November 17th - I was convinced about that. But not at all that it would turn out like this. It was a shock the way if developed so that it was already definitive.”

'It was the 10 December, 1988. Somewhere there was news that Václav Havel would speak on Wenceslas Square, so we took our 10-year-old daughter and went to the Wenceslas square in Prague. It was surrounded and they didn't want to let us in. I finally told them that we were going by train on a day trip to show my daughter the essentials in Prague and they let us there. But we found out that the demonstration was moved to Škroupovo Square. Then there was a demonstration in Prague on 28 October. This was the first time they made this day again a holiday of establishing of the Republic. Before that, it was only Nationalization Day for some time. This has already been shown on television that the anti-socialist elements were raging in Prague. I wasn't there, but I saw it on TV. That was also very strong... well, and then it was the anniversary of August and Palach's week.”

“I got off at Masaryk Station in Prague and when I went out on the street where the municipal house is located, I remembered how Russians were driving in the streets and people were standing on the sidewalks. It was an image like that of the 1939 photo - the Germans riding motorcycles and people standing and crying and clenching their fists. It was the same. So, the days of August 21 and 22 I spent in Prague on the street and returned home the next day." - "Were you scared?" - "Not at all. What those people looked like - angry, discussing - that means fear. I was afraid at one point, but only looking back at it. And that was when we were at Wenceslas Square near the armoured vehicles, and then I realised that the barrels were headed at the discussing people charged with sharp ammo. Nobody realized that."

“What would I call my role? That just came on its own. There was a discussion in the factory. You know there's a different regime than on the street. Until the last moment it was not known if anyone would take part in the strike. I think it was clear from the leadership and the trade unions and the party. The strike was on Monday but before the weekend it was unclear. I could never really shut my mouth. On Monday morning, my colleagues and I said we were going to the strike and how to get as many people as possible. So we met in our master's office and called a few workplaces. We have set up a strike committee. In the morning we expanded it around the factory so that most people eventually joined and by noon we went to the square.”

“I couldn´t get the book of Black Barons. In 1970 I went to the army and some boy brought it and I told him to lend it to me to read it. I drove there with an ambulance, so I had a 24/7 emergency room at the brigade infirmary. We also slept there. I had no idea other than to start typing those Black Barons on a typewriter and copying them. Once I was caught by the Chief, Colonel. He was excellent, he was completely out of regime. At that time, the printing presses had to be pulled out of typewriters at night for security reasons. The chief was discussing something with me, and I was still turning around in front of the machine so he couldn't see it. But he still looked at what I was writing. He began lamenting that they would lock us all up and I should stop right away. He turned and walked away. He closed the door, but it opened shortly again and he asked how many copies I had. I had five of them. And he said that one was for him and that no one should catch me. So it is such a little gem that even such people were in the army.”