Illegal border crossing | Memory of Nations

"This photograph was taken by a family friend, Karel Mařatka. It was shot just after the end of an unveiling of a memorial plaque on the 19th of May, 2001. "Dad's former colleagues, civilian pilots, asked the Czechoslovak Airlines to sponsor the event. Their flags were hoisted on wooden masts on the lawn near the house and the marketing department agreed that I would represent them wearing their uniform. My relief that we managed the event is well visible. It rained and we were soaked to the bone and tired dead. The preparations for the event were exhausting even though my mother was a great help as a sort of 'liaison officer'."

Iveta Irvingová

Illegal border crossing, Journalist, Political prisoner in the 1950‘s (ČSR), Political prisoner in the 1960‘s (ČSSR), Political prisoner in WW2 and 11 more categories

15. 3. 1939 - The Nazi occupation of ČSR, 1. 9. 1939 - The outbreak of the WW2, 1940 - The Battle of France, 13. 8. – 31. 10. 1940 - The Battle of Britain, 8. 5. 1945 - End of WWII and 10 more anniversaries

Photography from the army

Miloš Jakac

* 1933

Croatia, A 1948 – 1989 emigrant/refugee, Illegal border crossing

1948 - 1955 - Tito - Stalin split

Portrait of Milena, Prague 1942

Milena Janda

* 1935

Participant in antifascist resistance, Prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp, Participant in Czechoslovak resistance during WW2, Anti-communist rebel, Political prisoner in WW2 and 8 more categories

1. 9. 1939 - The outbreak of the WW2, 25. 2. 1948 - Communist coup d‘état in ČSR, 1941 - 1945 - Transports to the concentration camps, 1945 - The liberation of the concentration camps, 17. 11. 1939 – Closure of Czech universities and 3 more anniversaries

Jiří Jícha - soldier of basic service - in uniform of the Border Guard in 1979

Major Jiří Jícha

* 1957

Illegal border crossing, Failed attempt if illegal border crossing , Border Guards, Life along the Iron Curtain, Historian and 1 more categories

21. 8. 1968 - Invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops, 17. 11. - 29. 12. 1989 - The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia

Jůna.jpg (historic)

Ladislav Jůna

* 1930 †︎ 2018

A 1938 – 1945 emigrant/refugee, Illegal border crossing, National minorities, PTP (Auxiliary Technical Battalions)

29. 9. 1938 - The Munich Diktat, 15. 3. 1939 - The Nazi occupation of ČSR, 30. 5. 1945 – 29. 10. 1946 - Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, 1944 - 1945 - The liberation of Czechoslovakia, 5. – 9. 5. 1945 - Prague Uprising

A current photo

Arnošt Kafka

* 1938

Illegal border crossing, Déclassé, Students who were for political reasons expelled from school, Witnesses of local events connected to WWII

8. 5. 1945 - End of WWII

Michal Kaňa as a young man

Michal Kaňa

* 1953

Representative of the Church, Emigrant, A 1948 – 1989 emigrant/refugee, Illegal border crossing, Catholic clerical and 10 more categories

13. – 14. 4. 1950 – "Action K" – forceful concentration of Czech monks, 21. 8. 1968 - Invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops, 1989 - The fall of the iron curtain, 17. 11. - 29. 12. 1989 - The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, 1991 - 1995 - Croatian War of Independence and 1 more anniversaries

Historical photography

Stefan Katona

* 1947

Emigrant, A 1948 – 1989 emigrant/refugee, Illegal border crossing, National minorities, Victim of persecution due the forced agricultural collectivisation and 2 more categories

21. 8. 1968 - Invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops

Oswald Kittel in 2021

Oswald Kittel

* 1929

Illegal border crossing, National minorities, Victim of forced relocation, Sudeten Germans, Witnesses of local events connected to WWII and 2 more categories

30. 5. 1945 – 29. 10. 1946 - Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, 8. 5. 1945 - End of WWII

Milan Klouda in 2023

Milan Klouda

* 1935

Emigrant, A 1948 – 1989 emigrant/refugee, Illegal border crossing

21. 8. 1968 - Invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops, 1989 - The fall of the iron curtain

Statistics: 20767 Witnesses the Database; 11669 Witness Stories; 21367 Registered Researchers; 173540 Photos; 68994 Clips