Ing. Pavel Štrobl

“Actually, the things came step by step in my life. I could see it in Lubnice that those who had good reference and followed the regime prospered. And those who did not follow it did not prosper that much. Although I can´t complain that I lived a bad life. Then I attended secondary school and college. But I knew or had a feeling already at secondary school that it was not that promising for me here. And I think that sometime around the Secondary school leaving exam... Because my uncle talked about the fact that he could have stayed there and many times when the family met and drank and talked and somehow relaxed... you could suddenly see that many other people that I met started to say that the West was better that socialism, that we were now free here, that we were behind the Iron Curtain and many jokes were told. And suddenly, the thought of simply running away began to creep into my mind.”

“Were you in Pioneer?” “I was not at the beginning, then I joined Pioneer - I think for a year or two. Than a funny story happened. I caught a cold or had a runny nose and we had to perform somewhere in a cultural house where the pioneers would always have to sing songs celebrating socialism. And I forgot a handkerchief at home and when it ended, I took of my Pioneer scarf and used it to blow my nose. A schoolmate reported me. I think that I even got a reprimand for it at school. And it was a big issue. I think that I stopped attending it then, I do not remember at all how it turned out with Pioneer.”