Editorial
The citizens of our country, especially the older ones, are certain to remember the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet army and four Soviet satellites in August 1968 for the rest of their lives. Today, we are once again painfully reminded of this event, this time from Ukraine. The citizens of our country, especially the older ones, are certain to remember the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet army and four Soviet satellites in August 1968 for the rest of their lives. Today, we are once again painfully reminded of this event, this time from Ukraine.
Then 1969 came, and our country was withering. The defiance was beginning to fall silent. And then came the terrible blow: on 16 January, Jan Palach, a student of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University, set himself on fire on Wenceslas Square. It was not suicide. He wanted to awaken the nation from its emerging lethargy. And the nation was briefly awakened; hundreds of thousands of people came to say goodbye to Jan Palach. Five weeks later, this “torch no.1” was followed by a second student, Jan Zajíc. He, too, died. Did the nation arise? It did, but not until 20 years later. The series of protests that took place in January 1989, later called the Palach week, dispersed with batons and water cannons, cannot be forgotten either.
Today, both Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc have their memorials in several places, and we are pleased to report that the latest one was created this year by the ECCB in the town of Děčín, thanks to local minister Tomáš Matějovský. You can learn more in our Bulletin.
And the second important bit? A wooden jewel. A church that is definitely worth seeing. Moreover, in Wallachia, a specific area at the very eastern end of our country. Do you know where the name Wallachia comes from? The inhabitants of this area are most likely descendants of tribes that came from Wallachia in Romania sometime between the 14th and 17th centuries. These Wallachians brought with them their customs, folklore, music and their costumes. This did not exclude customs related to agriculture, such as sheep farming.
Wallachia is also characterised by its “stubborn” protestant faith. These stubborn, secret Protestants were called “rams” and they are rightfully an important part of Wallachia.
The 1781 Patent of Toleration, issued by Joseph II, brought a significant change for the better in matters of faith. The existence of Protestants was no longer illegal, but they were still on the margins – they were only tolerated. They were finally allowed to have their own churches, but without a tower or a bell, and the churches would have to be placed on the edge of the village. They had to be kept out of plain sight.
Hopefully, these times are never coming back. However, the church in Velká Lhota is definitely worth a visit.
Wishing you a blessed Easter
On behalf of the Editorial Board Jana Plíšková