„I had a colleague, Robert Gombík, he was a chaplain as well, he lived near Pezinok, in Senec, at the parsonage there. One day, he came for a visit and asked whether I listened to the Voice of America, which was a Western radio station which was not interfered with as the Radio Free Europe was, and he asked very gravely whether I listened to them, that it is something serious and important. And he was a man who was interested in public affairs, I was not. For me, it was entirely…. I said: ‘Robert, I have no clue.’ So, that evening, we sat down to the radio and listened to the Charter 77. And when I heard it, I said: ‘Look, Robert, this is something which is important.’ And we already knew, somehow, from that Voice of America, that the Charter people in Prague who were its authors had some problems with the law enforcement and in their work and that they were summoned for questioning and some were jailed. And we, as priests, we held public functions but we had no wives and families of our own, I had no issue to say in church that there’s something going on in Prague, let’s think of them, let’s support them. And I and Robert decided to show some solidarity, at least with those people from Prague, to show that we feel with them, that they have our moral support, and that’s why we signed the Charter.”
“I had always, back then I would use it even in church when I talked, that the sense, that even if the light is tiny, it would show the way. There is a light in the darkness and it doesn’t matter how small it is. Or, like a drop in the sea, one could say it is just a drop. But the sea is made of drops. It was something that people did and the future was open. Nobody knew how would it turn out at the end. But there was such power, such energy that I thought that there was some sense in it. If nothing else, I would meet people who shared the same problems, the same story, who were close to me somehow. This experience, to meet these people who were, as they say, on the same boat, it was so enriching. I think that from this point of view, I’d say yes, it was a good thing. Even though the political outlook was… I wouldn’t have guessed that the things would ever change, I never suspected that the political change could ever happen. And that’s what surprised me, that 1989 revolution.”
„And when people sort it out for themselves, they should follow it. That sort of my perseverance, that I did not cancel my signature, that I stayed with the Charter despite all those interrogations, I feel good about it. So, when things happen and when they are difficult, any sort of things or another ones, when people stand their ground, they’ll die more content. I think that it’s worth it, sacrifying something for that truth. Jesus says, ‘Truth will set you free’. And that’s what I could experience with the Charter 77 to an extent, something nice that I like to recall from my memory despite the fact that sometimes it was demanding and the times were difficult. And it is necessary to appreciate every bit of freedom, every step towards freedom and towards democracy was paid by blood in the past. It’s not obvious and it can collapse all when we do not care about it. It’s not obvious.”
Marián Zajíček was born on the 22th of January in 1951 in Dubová by Pezinok in Slovakia. He graduated from the three-year secondary school and in 1969, he enrolled at the faculty of theology at the Bratislava university. He graduated from the university in 1974 and right away, he started his compulsory army service but after several months, he got an early release for medical reasons – he contracted hepatitis. In the same year, he was ordained and started working as a priest. At the beginning of 1977, his colleague, Robert Gombík told him about the Charter 77 and together, they decided to spread this document in Slovakia; they both signed it after several months. Someone denounced them so this activity was soon noted by the State Security. In March 1978, the state attorney charged them with subversion against the republic and they were taken into custody. They were released a few days later and the charges were withdrawn, the investigation however continued. Marián’s State approval for religious service was rescinded, he could not do his job and until 1989, he was under surveillance of the secret police and he was frequently interrogated, with the threat of criminal prosecution still hanging over him. In 1978, he moved to Prague and three years alter, he married Eva, née Hradilková. In 1983, they moved to the countryside, to Domašín in the Jindřichův Hradec district. Until 1993, he worked in the state railways, then at the Ministry of Interior. Until 2006, he was the secretary and advisor of MP Lubomír Zaorálek, later, he worked in the Library of the Parliament. In 2020, Marián Zajíček was living in Prague.
Photograph taken by the State Security during surveillance of Martin Zajíček, with description: "Prague on the 7th of July, 1982, in the afternoon, the object of surveillance is standing at the tram stop at Perštýn."
Photograph taken by the State Security during surveillance of Martin Zajíček, with description: "Prague on the 7th of July, 1982, in the afternoon, the object of surveillance is standing at the tram stop at Perštýn."
