The following text is not a historical study. It is a retelling of the witness’s life story based on the memories recorded in the interview. The story was processed by external collaborators of the Memory of Nations. In some cases, the short biography draws on documents made available by the Security Forces Archives, State District Archives, National Archives, or other institutions. These are used merely to complement the witness’s testimony. The referenced pages of such files are saved in the Documents section.

If you have objections or additions to the text, please contact the chief editor of the Memory of Nations. (michal.smid@ustrcr.cz)

Jan Bednář (* 1953)

• born February 1, 1953 in Prague

• dissident, signatory of Charter 77, emigrant, journalist, son of journalist and dissident Otta Bednářová

• After the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops, he spent two months in Vienna, where he went with his mother and brother

• in 1972-1977 he studied at the University of Economics in Prague

• in December 1976 he signed the Charter 77 declaration, because of which he was not allowed to finish his university studies

• followed by the StB, interrogated, later forced to emigrate as part of the Asanace Action

• travelled to the UK in June 1982

• studied at Oxford University in 1982-1985

• worked in the Czechoslovak editorial office of the BBC in London from 1985 to 1992

• returned to Czechoslovakia permanently in 1992

• lived in Prague in 2021

Jiný způsob zpracování

Tento medailon vychází z nahrávky a metodiky ÚSTR.