Petr Kopecký

* 1970

The Student activist during the Velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia, Politician
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, 17. 11. 1989 - Demonstration at Národní třída
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    We trembled when we saw a policeman kicking a girl who was bleeding from her mouth

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    duration: 01:10
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    “We trembled horribly when we saw a policeman kicking a girl who was bleeding from a wounded mouth. I then ran through the alley made of policemen, my cousin tripped in front of me, a policeman was about to hit him but I shouted at him, he got startled and this saved my cousin from a hit in the head. I used to play basketball at that time, did a breakaway and we managed to escape towards National Theater. There was a cordon of policemen in Mikulandská street, there was no way of passing through there. At the right side were armored vehicles and police vans. We sneaked through, escaping the Ministry of Interior corps, the red berets. We were eighteen, we were sportsmen and thanks to that managed to sneak through but we then trembled for two days. Starting with Monday, I then participated in all demonstrations taking place until the first free elections – I was at all of them.”

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    The German officer told great-grandfather: ‘if your people were not assholes, we wouldn’t have been here at all’

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    duration: 00:48
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    “During the war, one day my great-grandfather arrived from the mill, began folding up the grain and suddenly the German soldiers arrived for an inspection. The officer told him: ‘Sir, I found nothing, everything is in order. But I will tell you one thing – if your people were not assholes, we wouldn’t have been here at all.’ My great-grandfather was by coincidence turned in by comrade Wolf who later served as head of the Communist Party in Kovářov. He lived right next to him and turned great-grandfather in again in 1952. People simply remained the same.”

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    Death penalty for stealing a watch

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    duration: 00:43
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    “After the war a sad thing had happened: someone in the village had his watch stolen. The Soviet commander had the whole unit lined up and asked who stole that watch. They searched until they found the thief. The person who announced the theft was able to recognize his watch. The commander shot the soldier on spot. The owner of the watch had regrets for the rest of his life that a person died because of his watch.”

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    Praha, 02.03.2015

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    duration: 01:08:43
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Liberty means responsibility

Petr Kopecký
Petr Kopecký

Petr Kopecký was born on the 30th of July 1970 in Prague. He graduated from an engineering high school and then enrolled at the Faculty of  Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, however, he never finished his studies. In 1989, he took an active part in the Velvet Revolution, among other things, he also distributed leaflets inviting people to the November 17th demonstration. In 1991, he joined the newly-established Civic Democratic Party. He worked as a manager of the party in Prague 5 district, was responsible for a country-wide election campaign, served for three years as an assistant to an MP and between 1996 and 2004 was a member of the municipal assembly in the Stodůlky district. Professionally he worked in various enterprises, mostly as manager. At present, he works as an investment consultant and no longer takes an active part in politics.

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