Josef Nitra

“Someone told me that communists – most of all those who collaborated with the regime more than others – feared that when it all snaps they would end up hanging from poles such as in Hungary in the 1950s. How did you see it? Haven’t you feared a revolution?” – “First of all, you use the word collaboration… Was I a quisling?! You haven’t chosen the right word. You probably don’t mean that way but the word quisling [kolaborant] has a different meaning. Second, I haven’t ever thought about it all going down but I knew that even if it did, there wouldn’t be bloodshed. We Czechs don’t do that. I mean, not everyone of course, but the Velvet Revolution was typically Czech. – “I didn’t mean collaboration in a bad way…” – “I know you didn’t! I just wanted to be more specific. I have collaborated with the regime, yes. But this is still not precise: I haven’t collaborated with the regime – rather I worked for the regime. I was a state employee of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.” – “What were your thoughts about the Velvet Revolution?” – “Personally, I have nothing to be ashamed for, nothing to hide, I acknowledge everything that I had done. And do you know what is paramount to me? That I can look my son and daughter in the eye, talk to them about the normalization era the same way I talk to you about it and I know they won’t blame me. After the revolution I was a bit angry that many people had the information, knew what was coming and bought up property. On 17 November on of the older members of the editorial board told me: ‘Pepa, don’t go anywhere today, there will be a demonstration.’ So he knew something was coming while I hadn’t had a clue! Shortly before, on 28 October, I was in Dresden. By that time, things were changing in Germany, I saw what was happening but didn’t think it was thinkable for something like this to happen in our country… It had happened then and many people knew about it in advance.” – “Did you ever consider making a stand against the regime?” – “I was neither a dissident, nor a lackey.”

“Every six months there was a military exercise. In the beginning we fought with tactical means but on the second or third day it was already a simulation of a nuclear bomb attack. I had my map and received an order via telephone: ‘Mark the nuclear attacks in the map.’ Up until today I see the map in front of my eyes… The most sickening memory of the whole normalization era for me are precisely those simulated nuclear attacks. As I was already back then interested in history I knew what horrors could be caused by such weapons. I accepted many things as natural but I strongly disagreed with something like that being in the preparation and I refused to come to terms with it.”