Mgr. Alena Čápová

"The TechDep [the Technical Department at Pankrác Prison] used to receive orders from companies to make lights. Among other things, Vláďa got a contract to light the future figure skating hall, the first in Prague. He told me how he came there, accompanied, of course. The girls were just practicing on the ice, Vláďa was working with them [before his imprisonment] on a performance, and they noticed that Vláďa was there. So, they dropped everything and started going through the whole performance, which they used to practice with him. I liked that they approached it that way when he helped them with it... Later on, they told me about it too. He was brought in with the guards, he was supposed to check something, because lighting the halls was no fun..."

"I was there about September [1968, after the occupation] to get my pay, and there were other employees waiting. A man came in and started shouting: 'This wasn't friendly help, this was the occupation. I taught my son to always cheer for the Russians when they played hockey, and now this...' In this rude way, there was grave silence. All I knew was that he was an associate professor. After a year after this event, in 1969, the vetting committee came in, I was summoned... I made a written statement that I was not interested. For me, it was simply an event that could not be reversed. Why would I say if I agree or disagree. And to express support for the communists, not at all! It turned out that when I was invited, there were six or seven people there, all members of the Party and the dean. I had a reputation for being a good lecturer... I wrote in the statement that I thought the future would reveal it... But one man didn't like it and I realized it was him, it was the associate professor [who was shouting in the corridor] (...) And he was the first to speak: 'Comrade, how is it possible that you, a university teacher and assistant, have the opinion that only the future will evaluate this...' You cannot imagine what happened in me. I could have said: 'I'm not standing on the stairs shouting about what a jerk the Russians are.’ I could have ruined him, and then I thought, that's beneath a man. (...) [The associate professor] then came out of the room and humbly said: 'You know, comrade, they shouted at me terribly, why did I shout at you...’ And I looked at him and said: 'Comrade, God's mill grinds slow but sure.’ I picked myself up and left, I didn't come back [before the commission]. I put everything on one scale - do what you want with me, so what, I'll plant trees."

"The tech dorm was packed, with boys and girls everywhere leaning out of windows and shouting: 'Come with us!" I waited. And then a big parade came out, and I walked with them up the street. Nerudova Street, we went through it all. There were two or three cars lined up nose to nose in the spot just before the street turns to the Castle, it was secured, you couldn't walk through... I was a fast runner - a fast, lithe gym teacher, so I turned around with a group of students, we ran down a little bit, turned up to Petřín Hill, and then we crossed the square by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Hradčany Square. I was about five metres from the first rows, and there were already policemen standing there, but they didn't have shields yet... We got the information that several people who were politically active... so they got to the Castle to the President and begged him not to sign it... We wanted to go closer and closer to the Castle, the anthem was sung there maybe five times. We said to ourselves - they will stand at attention during the anthem and we will come closer and push them... But it didn't happen..."