I refused to carry out my military service duties on Saturdays because of my faith. This was major trouble.
Stáhnout obrázek
Marek Šlechta was born on April 19, 1961 in Pardubice. His parents were Seventh-day Adventists and raised their son in their faith. Seventh-day Adventists do not go to school or work on Saturdays. Šlechta had problems because Saturday was a school day and a working day during his early youth. Saturdays became part of the weekend before he graduated from a gymnasium and the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Brno University of Technology. While there, he refused to participate in training exercises that were part of his compulsory military service while at school. The military department of the university did not accredit his service and Šlechta was threatened with the proposition of two years military service after graduation. He went to work in a mine near Karviná because miners were exempt from military service at the time. Šlechta studied the English language and met with other persons of faith while he worked at the mines. He was interested in Judaism and everything related to Israel. After the November revolution in 1989 he reached his full potential, skills and knowledge. Šlechta worked in management and also traveled. A health condition led to an early retirement. He dedicates his time to music and Holocaust studies.
