Jarmila Kročková

“So when dad was in a prison, they´d tell me he went to a treatment. And only when I was nine, about a year or two before they released him, I found out. And I remember I went to see him in Valdice. And we sat opposite to each other at the table. I was kind of nicer. I know I said I didn’t like the way he looked, his lips were very fat... well it was a lot to digest for me. In Valdice it was actually still ok. But I know once he was in Ruzyne and we visited him. And in front of the prison they were selling show-whites. And I told mum: ,Look, I will buy him flowers.‘ And I did. And he was behind the glass and a wire fence and secret policeman didn’t allow me to give it to him. I know for sure I cried. And there was totally no contact, we could not touch each other! I went to prison twice like that. Before mum was visiting with brother and uncle, they always accompanied her. The visits were scarce, very few indeed.”

„Of course I was terribly thrilled, when the new president was elected. He was well respected abroad. Sadly not so much in our country. But as anyone he made mistakes. He was definitely the very best president we ever had. He was a classy gentleman, well educated, you could see he was an artist, so there was much artistic licence in his speech. Without any discussion, he was a respected person. Unfortunately more abroad than in here. Too many people were just not ready for such change here. Obviously I knew about him; I was in touch with the chartists, but just a little (…) A lot of tolerance has disappeared here. There is much evil and negativism amongst people. I believe that life is not all black and white, it is simply colourful. Even Havel was not black and white, he was a human being as any of us that is not flawless. But essentially he was worthy our admiration for he managed to hold the function. I thought very highly of Olga Havlová, his wife, who was very modest person, but also quite a spirited person with her sarcastic attitude. She was quite unrestrained, which with Havel... but it is hard to say how it got lost. Also he was in a certain environment, so a man can only hardly say, he should not have done this or he should have done that. I would never dare to judge, as I wasn’t in the same situation. Anyhow, he was an honest man and surely meant well. He tried to surround himself with people, who were quite decent... of course, not all the time he managed that...”