Ludmila Svatková

* 1943

Relative of a political prisoner, Witness of local events from the Communist era
21. 8. 1968 - Invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops, 18. - 21. 8. 1969 – mass demonstrations against Soviet occupation, 17. 11. 1989 - Demonstration at Národní třída
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    When Daddy was brought home dead

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    duration: 01:03
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    "When my dad died, I was eight years old. We came home from school. My mum came in, cried a lot, and left. There were two other colleagues that day who lived with us. I think my mother went to my grandmother's. Her mother was no longer alive, she died in 1943 of thrombosis. Or she went to a friend's. I don't know. Mr. Syneček was also arrested, he also worked in the poultry farm, and Mummy was later friends with his wife. The poultry farm is still down by the station. That's when Daddy was brought home dead. He was in a coffin in the hallway. I remember him lying there. He had a bruise on his head. He was supposed to go home in a fortnight. I think someone helped him to die. But it's hard to say."

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    Daddy in a work camp

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    duration: 00:58
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    "My father was then moved to Hradiště, my mother used to go to the courts there, and then he was sentenced to two and a half years. He worked in the mines in Oslavany, making timbering. They said that he had a stroke, that the heavy timber he was hauling didn't do him any good. He was 38 years old. I think he must have been in contact with Grebeníček there. His name is on the memorial in Hradiště, all those who were imprisoned there are there."

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    Praha, 24.05.2024

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    duration: 01:11:03
    media recorded in project Stories of the 20th Century TV
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I think someone helped Daddy to die

Ludmila in 1951
Ludmila in 1951
photo: witness´s archive
photo: witness´s archive
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Ludmila Svatková was born in Uherské Hradiště on 14 November 1943 to Ludmila and Jaroslav Piják. She grew up in Uherský Brod. Her father worked as a representative in the company Sběr (today’s Raciola) company. In 1950 he was arrested and convicted in the Bruštík and Co. trial for theft and anti-state activities. Dad died in March 1952 shortly before his release in a labour camp in Oslavany in the Brno region. After studying tourism in Karlovy Vary, Ludmila Svatková joined the Czechoslovak State Airlines. After the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops, her brother Jaroslav emigrated to Sweden. She took part in the demonstrations in August 1969 and November 1989, which she photographed. In 2024 she was living in Prague.

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Photos (15)
  • Daddy Jaroslav injured on horseback during World War I.
    Daddy Jaroslav injured on horseback during World War I.
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Grandfather Norbert Fiala, who left in 1929 for Uruguay
    Grandfather Norbert Fiala, who left in 1929 for Uruguay
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Father Jaroslav Piják with violin, 1942
    Father Jaroslav Piják with violin, 1942
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • The bombed-out family home
    The bombed-out family home
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • The mirror that survived the bombing
    The mirror that survived the bombing
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Ludmila Svatková, 1945
    Ludmila Svatková, 1945
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Liduška with her brother on horseback
    Liduška with her brother on horseback
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Mummy with Ludmila and brother Jaroslav
    Mummy with Ludmila and brother Jaroslav
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Ludmila - Feast of Corpus Christi, 1947
    Ludmila - Feast of Corpus Christi, 1947
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Brother Jaroslav in 1947
    Brother Jaroslav in 1947
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Ludmila in 1951
    Ludmila in 1951
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Ludmila with her brother Jaroslav, photo sent to their father in prison, 1951
    Ludmila with her brother Jaroslav, photo sent to their father in prison, 1951
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Ludmila at Holy Communion - a photo that was sent to her father in 1951 in prison
    Ludmila at Holy Communion - a photo that was sent to her father in 1951 in prison
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Mummy with Ludmila and Jaroslav, 1954
    Mummy with Ludmila and Jaroslav, 1954
    photo: witness´s archive
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  • Ludmila Svatková during recording in 2024
    Ludmila Svatková during recording in 2024
    photo: Post Bellum
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