Suzanne Bartosek

„(Václav Havel didn’t) have the same philosophy as my husband. In 1970s during normalisation, until 1983, we were not here anymore, and although we didn’t have the same philosophy, we belonged together. That was a big plus. As there was a large solidarity and we belonged together. The Catholics, like Hejda and Havel, or a Marxists, like my husband. Of course he was not a communist, but a Marxist. And so was our big friend, Karel Kosík. But we did belong together.“

“It was all difficult back then, as when I was married, I got here to Bohemia on a tourist visa. I wished to stay and live here with my husband. And then I got pregnant and they kept asking for money, obviously. And they were only renewing my tourist visa; and kept pressuring me offering a chance to stay here if I took the Czechoslovak (state – editor´s note) nationality, which I didn’t feel like at all. I was born and wished to remain French. Back then it was impossible (double citizenship- editor´s note) to have a French and a Czech passport, as you can today. (To give up my French citizenship – editor´s note) I totally didn’t feel like doing.“