Ivan Mačura

* 1939

  • “If people were monitored by the State Security, nobody wanted to talk to them. That happened to my father after he was released from prison. As he was walking on the street, his friend saw him and rather crossed the street to avoid speaking to him. Even though he knew he couldn’t be under surveillance at that time, after all, the State Security had many other duties than to constantly monitor regular citizens, nevertheless, people were afraid of any kind of contact.”

  • “State Security members came at night and arrested my father. The reason was simple. One day dad’s friend came and stayed overnight. On the next day he wanted to cross the state border in Moravia. It was possible only with great difficulties in 1951. That was the reason he got caught and got beaten until he confessed that he slept over in our house.”

  • “We abolished the Communist Party at our Faculty during the first week (of the Velvet Revolution – note. ed.). The 17th of November was Friday, on Saturday we were adapting to new situation, on Sunday the movement began at Student Dormitory Zobor and from Monday it all went ahead. On Wednesday we announced abolition of dominance of the Communist Party at the Faculty. The members stood up and handed me over their abdication letters. And I asked them ʻWhy me, why are you addressing your letters to me?’”

  • “In 1970 evaluations of all adults in Czechoslovakia began. There were a few millions of us and we were inspected in one year. During each evaluation a key question was asked: ʻWhat’s your attitude toward the military invasion (of Warsaw Pact Troops – note ed.)?’ Those who agreed with the invasion were free to go, but many (e.g. religious believers) were against it. However, it was a great test of one's character there. Even those who surrendered but internally were against it, had to live with that burden for the rest of their life. Those who opposed were without hesitation dismissed from employment. As a result of the evaluation at our school, sixty three educationists out of hundred and fifty were being sanctioned. Thirteen people lost their jobs.”

  • Full recordings
  • 1

    Nitra, 17.03.2015

    (audio)
    duration: 04:20:23
    media recorded in project Stories of the 20th century
Full recordings are available only for logged users.

Not us, but they were affraid

Ivan Mačura at home
Ivan Mačura at home
photo: vlastný archív

Ivan Mačura was born on November 27, 1939 in Bratislava. When he was eleven, his father was arrested and sentenced in a political trial. In 1956 his father was released from the prison and in the same year Ivan passed the leaving examination at the grammar school. During 1956 - 1962 he represented the Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR) in volleyball. He studied at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports of Comenius University in Bratislava, where he graduated in 1960. A year later he got married and in the following year he moved with his wife to Nitra, where he worked from 1962 until 2006 as a professor at the Faculty of Education. He founded the Club of Committed Non-Party Members during the era of Prague Spring in Nitra. During the normalization he taught at the Faculty of Education and coached a university volleyball club. In November `89 he founded the Non-Party Members Forum, which organised a new Dean’s elections in the mid-December. He co-organised the general strike in Nitra (November 27, 1989) and from December 1989 until January 1991 he was a chairman of the Public against Violence Movement (VPN) in Nitra district. In 1990 he participated in many activities: in February he founded the Department of Romani Culture (first in Slovakia), in March he co-founded the first elementary catholic school in Nitra and was in charge of the first free elections in Nitra district. After lecturing at the Faculty of Education (at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, in 2006 he started a business related to sport and healthy lifestyle.