“We are Czechs, we never surrender,” vibrates in the walls of the wartime memorial

Jiří Padevět is a charismatic historian, publisher and director of Academia (publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic). He is well known for his outstanding books.

odkaz na původní článek v českém jazyce http://www.policista.cz/clanky/reportaz/zabiti-heydricha-bylo-nejvetsi-odbojovou-akci-druhe-svetove-valky-rika-jiri-padevet-1180/

The books are dealing in a great detail with heroism as well as horror and tragedy of the Second World War. Meeting Jiří Padevět in the crypt of St. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral was truly symbolic, memorable words of the paratroopers “We are Czechs, we never surrender,” were vibrating the walls of the memorial in Resslova Street, Prague.

“Despite all the horror and bizarreness the Protectorate era proved the people´s characters. Everyone had to take a stand.”

Why did you choose to write about the Protectorate era?

Simply because I find it interesting and more importantly full of heroism. I don´t want to derogate the political situation after the WWII, the resistance against communism, students and demonstrators in 1968 and dissidents but I think the protectorate is the last period in the Czech history, where beside cowardice and treachery, a great heroism played its significant role. Despite all the horror and bizarreness the Protectorate era proved the people´s characters. Everyone had to take a stand. Some joined the resistance and thus very often paid the highest price for that decision and their families were not excluded. Others collaborated with the enemy and were executed by the end of the WWII. There were also those who continued their daily routines and we can´t blame them for that. It is the most natural reaction. The vast majority of people just wanted to live ordinary lives.

I have been very curious about this era since I was a boy. My dad used to tell me stories about Resslova Street, about Three Kings (three heroic soldiers and patriots Mašín, Balabán and Morávek) and it was much better than any other adventurous stories, simply because this was a reality. What´s more, there was still something illegal about it in those days, because the western resistance simply was not a popular topic before the fall of communism in 1989. Family relations played their role as well, one of my uncles, as a student of a Business school in Karlín, participated in distribution of illegal pamphlets and died in Mauthausen. Another uncle drowned in a British bomber while flying over the Biscay Bay.

Are you proud of them?

I can´t be proud of something I haven´t done myself. Honestly, I am happy that there weren´t any Nazi collaborators in our family.

“Operation Anthropoid was simply the greatest resistance action during the Second World War. Killing of Heydrich was a heroic act and the whole world should know about it.”

This July an Anthropoid film opens the film festival in Karlovy Vary. Are you looking forward to seeing the film?

I am very pleased that this film emerged, as it will definitely draw attention to this topic, no matter what the quality of the film is. I am sure there will be plenty of critics stating that it should have been made in a different way with different cast or some may disagree with insignificant details. However, what matters is the fact of awakening public interest and reminding the men who killed the third most influential man in the Reich. This heroic act should not be forgotten. I truly hope the word “assassination” will not occur in the film. It was not an assassination but a military command. I prefer using the word attact. Gabčík and Kubiš attacked Heydrich and fulfilled their military command.

And there is no “assassination” in your new book Anthropoid - Guide that you published this May.

You are right. The book was published in Czech, English and German and it guides the readers through the places connected with the Operation Anthropoid within the Protectorate – from the parachute jump in December 1941 till the last June hours in the crypt in Resslova Street. The book also depicts the flats of the paratroopers´ supporters – both in Prague and Pilsen. We are also planning an online version of the book.

Another Academia newcomer is a book Protektorátem po stopách parašutistů (In the paratrooper´s steps within the Protectorate), that you are planning to publish in autumn 2016.

The co- author of both books is my friend Pavel Šmejkal. Those two books differ in their extend. The second book, not yet published, is more extensive. The manuscript has about 1000 pages. This guide book will lead you through the places connected with all the western parachute units, it will introduce some of the unknown heroes that supported paratroopers during their activities within the Protectorate. The book will be published by the end of this year, so it is an ideal Christmas present.

More about the book: http://www.academia.cz/anthropoid-guide.html