Na falach Radia Wolna Europa Historia Jaroslava i Pavla Pechácków
On the Waves of Radio Free Europe. The story of Jaroslav and Pavel Pecháček

Summary/Abstract: Radio Free Europe represented a significant phenomenon for more than 40 years, a symbol of struggle against the distortion of information, concealing of events, and against censorship. The name Pechaček was connected with this radio station throughout its existence. The life story of Jaroslav and Pavel Pechačeks, father and son, is another story typical for Czechoslovakia of the 20th century. The father was forced to emigrate due to the communist takeover in 1948 while his son stayed in Czechoslovakia. They met again only after two decades when the son had to leave Czechoslovakia in consequence of another historical upheaval in the centre of Europe. Both of them achieved success in the same field, working for the Radio Free Europe and Voice of America stations and heading them for many years. They were both kept under close watch of the State security (StB) service, but both lived to see the fall of the communist regime in their home country. Prokop Tomek’s biographical study embraces the Pechaček family’s struggle against both the Nazi and the communist regimes, their professional career, problems with the State Security, as well as Pavel Pechaček’s activities following November 1989. It is not by chance that the study is included in the section called Against Totalitarianism.

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