17th OF NOVEMBER: Why it matters to the Czechs and to students around the world
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- čas přidán 15. 11. 2021
- 17th OF NOVEMBER is a very special day for the Czech people. One of my favorite things about living in Prague is the history that exists all around me, every day, as I walk the streets of the city. A lot of that history happened on the 17th of November, in events that took place 50 years apart. In this video, I'll tell you the story of International Students Day and The Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy (that's a mouthful!)
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These events are so significant in our history, that I just got teary eyes just from because of the pictures.... and I am 21
I'm glad to hear they mean so much to you :)
Same. I am 23 but I still cry when I hear about this time in the history
I am 43 and I am not much better, teary eyes and deeply impacted ... btw good reiteration of what happened Jen!
Mě táhne na 32 (narodil jsem dva měsíce po listopadu 89), mého dědu za komunismu věznili a je ho milovanou sestřičku zavraždili nacisti... když poslouchám tady paní/slečnu též mám v očích slzy, povídá o tom krásně.
Mně je 50, v roce 1989 jsem byl student prvního ročníku vysoké školy ve Zlíně. Teď se mi všechny vzpomínky vrátily a taky bulím jak želva. Skvělá práce Jen, tohle je jedno z nejlepších videí, co jsi kdy natočila✌
Nikdy bych nevěřil, že budu s napětím poslouchat vyprávění Američana o české historii. Rok 1989 mám navždy uchovaný v paměti. Svoboda není samozřejmost, pěstujme si ji, važme si ji. Díky VH.
Súhlasím.
úplně souhlasím.
Freedom isn't free
It cost the folks like you and me
And if we don't all chip in
We'll never pay that bill
Hezký, myslel jsem, že se podepsal Havel :D
It’s funny how every Czech knows the story, but when they hear it out loud, we just start to cry. I have tears in my eyes. I am so grateful, that my parents stood there as students during the protests to bring the oppresive regime down. I owe them and other brave students that I can be who I am now. And if the need to defend our freedom arises again during my life, I will stand there too to repay my parents and for the freedom of next generations! Pravda a láska vítězí! 🇨🇿❤️
Amazing job, Jen!
About Macha: His original grave was in Litomerice, which was part of Sudetland in 1939. There were many people fleeing the German annexation and the governor of the national bank (Karel Englis) initiated a swift act of moving Macha's grave to Prague (since his grave and person in general was and still is considered of a very nationalistic value). So the government swiftly agreed and on the 1.10. the employees of the Prague mortuary arrived to Litomerice with permission to exhume the grave. They found some bones (not only of Macha) and they also found Macha's small cross in the grave.
When they arrived to Prague, only few people knew about it, the public was informed appx. a week later. First, the remains were put in Strasnice crematorium, where the public had the chance to visit for several months. Since nobody really knew, how Macha really looked, they took the opportunity and used the Macha's skull to guess his appearance (they concluded that his appearance was typical slavic young man...).
At the end Macha was moved to Vysehrad after the right spot was found. And since then, this grave is a symbol for Czech pride and solidarity. So that's why the students went there on the 17.11. in 1989.
Wow, incredible explanation Ivo! Thank you so much!
Zrovna jsem to chtěl napsat,ale vidím, že je to již tady. Je v tom symbolika národní hrdosti a identity.
For me, as a 28 year old Czech, these events are extremely emotional, and even though I haven’t experienced the oppressive regimes myself, I am so thankful that we can enjoy our freedom now.
"we can enjoy our freedom now" .. are you really 28 old Czech? If you are not superficial, I have to ask. Which freedom? Or do you live in in Czech republic for last 2 or more years? When not just your natural and negative rights are suppressed but also in fact your positive rights, it is definitely not the freedom. Rule of law, not a really anymore. Judges protecting the weak and innocent people? No. Constitutional judges protecting those and their natural rights they swore to protect? Of course no. Right to fair trial? What a joke. Freedom of movement? another joke. Use of force in the same manner as german and communist regimes did? Yes. "Freedom" to be taxed at overall rate 60 %+; to be lied to all the time?
What we have here is an opressive regime not the freedom at all.
Little question: What would current mainstream media call the people protesting against german and communist regimes? I guess that same names and labes as they use fot people protesting now...
I am sorry that I write it twice, but which freedom?
@@kolomaznik333 I’d say you’re mixing up freedom and democracy. Also nothing is perfect. If you don’t agree with how it works around you, do something. Participate :)
@@lusovchak proč mezi sebou speekujete anglicky XD, jakoze nic proti anglicky umíte dost dobře, jen mi to přišlo vtipné
@@lusovchak a mimochodem souhlasím s tebou máme dost velkou svobodu, můžeme jet kam chceme, nejsou žádné cenzury, když nepočítám vlastněné média společnostmi, ale i tak oproti předešlých 100 letech máme pohodičku.
If I am looking backwards, You are the ×××
moc děkujeme za toto video. Koukám, že nejsem jediný komu to vehnalo slzy do očí.
No,američané mají přece rádi pohádky.Ale hlavně když z toho něco kápne...
Jen, toto je nejlepsi video, ktere jsi udelala. Mel jsem slzy v ocich. Je neuveritelne slyset nase vlastni dejiny vypravet nekym anglicky, ktery je podobne passionate se o tom neco dozvedet a sdelit to ostatnim jako ti, o kterych vypravi.
Je pochopitelne, ze si neumis predstavit sama sebe v roli tech studentu, ale to je tim, ze jsi nezazila ani nacky ani komunisty. Bohuzel historicka pamet je velmi slaba i u nas a mnozstvi lidi, kteri si mysli, ze za totality bylo lip, je desive.
Diky za to video.
Tak nebylo to 40 konstantnich, hrůzný let. Myslím, že Dubček měl vlastně dobrý zájem. I když naivní vzhledem k okolnostem.
Já se divím že vůbec někdo z Ameriky zná naše dějiny když ani neví kde leží Afghanistán nebo Irán.
Pravda. Asi jedno z nejlepších videí. Navíc pro člověka, který v té době byl studentem je to hodně silné téma a opravdu smekám nad tím, jakým způsobem je ta látka ( v tomto významu se látkou rozumí téma, které se právě probírá ve vyučovací hodině ve škole ) zpracovaná. Sám bych to téma lépe nezpracoval. Opravdu smekám.
Vždy mě naštve když od nějakého cizince slyším že jsme spolupracovali s nacisty nebo komunisty a jsem rád že to konečně nějaký cizinec uvedl na pravou míru. Sláva Ukrajině 🇺🇦
Pouze tu historii ma popletenou. 1938 Nemecko, Anglie, Francije a Italije podepsali s Hitlerem dohodu v Mnichovje ze si muze teretory sebrat a ze valka nebude ale Zidovska organizace Zionist je ujistila aby valku zacli a ze je potpori a ze ji vihrajou. Zato musi podepsat smlouvu k zniku Izraelu. Coz se stalo.(1945) Francije,Anglije a Italije vihlasila valku Nemecku a co se stalo dal to uz vite.
This is your first video which made me cry. I was a university student in Bratislava actively involved into the struggle in 1989. I remember the first demonstration in a cold and misty evening when there were still just few people protesting on the Hviezdoslav square and we were looking into side streets with the question - when will they come? Not a long time before police violently crushed a Candle demonstration in March and in November we expected to face the same fate. And I think they missed their only chance because the next day there were ten thousand of us and and there was this feeling - we will stand our ground no matter what and we better die than retreat. And then 100.000 people came and the rest is history.
As someone who was 9 years old at that time and barely understood what's going on - dakujem Vam a vsetkym, co tam boli.
Skvěle vysvětlené, Jen. Díky za to. Tohle tvé video by mohli používat učitelé dějepisu na školách k výuce.👏👏👏👍
Děkuji za laskava slova, Hano!
Kámoška učí angličtinu a její studenti mají videa od Jen za domácí úkol a každý týden jednu hodinu si o videu povídají. Anglicky, samozřejmě :)
Perfektní znalosti smekám🇨🇿❤️
@@DreamPrague Just one thing: Therte was an agent provocateur in the first line of the students procession who led them into the trap in Národní třída. That´s why the police was prepared there so quickly. There were policemen from the whole republic. There was even one who hit the camera of someone with his button so hard that they couldn´t take out the video tape from it. That´s why there are some videos from Národní třída - from that camera - not just taken by STB. And the policeman was from České Velenice - that is a small town on Austria borders. Here it is at 4:10 czcams.com/video/f2fGdV43hhk/video.html
There were even selections among men in the army before if they are able to shoot their own people. I know about it from out young teacher who finished his army time a month before. He was asked also. He talked about a car of the amunition prepared in the yard of the barracks. But when it happened the army said they won´t go against their own people. It calmed a lot of fear and gave the courage.
porad verite ty tragikomicky frašce z listopadu 89' ? jak to bylo se soudružkou svazackou ktera se po ceste na albertov se stala na jednou disidentkou ? fakt verite tomu že polititicky aparat ktery mel obrovsky silu v armade, v policajtech, lidovy milicich padl lusknutim prstu. kolik protestu pred tim bylo a protestujici dostali nakladacku a s lidma to ani nehlo ? nebylo tim ze nekdo velice chytry zdatny logistice zreziroval vymenu kabatu? stacilo ozkouset si reakci lidi na predchazejici demostraci , pustit dezimformaci vrazde studenta do celeho sveta skrz opozicni radio .
Myslím, že by bylo dobré tohle video ukázat u zkoušky z českých reálií, jelikož prokazujete skvělé znalosti nutné podle §14 zákona 186/2013 Sb. k získání českého občanství.
Vysvětlila jste to přesně!
Jsem polichocen!
@@DreamPrague *polichocena :-) :-)
Anebo to vyzkoušet na české mládeži, jen se obávám, že by půlka o občanství přišla (nadsázka alert).
@@mufrodrigo Ano, spousta lidí si pamatuje scénku Lábuse a Keisera. ,,Máme hole v ruce."
Respect to CZ from PL :D
Respect to PL (and your brave army especially) from CZ for guarding our EU east border 👍
@@Suchac_cz thanks my slovian Kamo :D
One of my professors at the university of Ostrava (prof. Jan Šabršula) was one of the students that were taken to concentration camps by the Nazis. Hearing about what happened directly from him was....it made me realise how fragile my place in the world really is.
Wow, that's incredible! It's really hard for me to comprehend how this was possible. What a terrible time it must have been.
This video is exceptional! Not even my history teacher did explain it to us that well. BIG THANK YOU!!!
That’s lovely to hear thank you!
To máte na dějepis školníka, ne? 🤔
@@Suchac_cz vyučovanie odpovedalo platu učiteľov :) smutné, viem
Za mě asi nejemotivnější video co jsi kdy udělala Jen. Díky.
☺
Tak tohle je zatím to nejlepší video. Pokud tu budou lidé, kteří si budou pamatovat historii. Bude na světě trochu lépe. Proto je dobré si ji připomínat. Pokud na historii zapomeneme tak se velice rychle zopakuje, ale v horším důsledku.
Škoda, z většina mladých už nezná hodnotu zítřejšího dne. Je mi 33 let, a stále pamatuji na hodiny dějepisu s panem Lisým. Vyklad ve videu se jeho výkladu velmi přiblížil. Děkuji za připomenutí.
Jsem moc ráda, že se ti to líbilo. :)
@@DreamPrague sleduji tvůj kanál už dlouho, a tohle bylo zatím nej video
@@fido1551 Většina lidí historii vůbec nezná. Bohužel. To co se děje poslední dva roky (teda nejen poslední dva), je toho důkazem. Tak tři roky zpět na jedné přednášce říkali studenti gymnázia, že režimy a metody minulosti už se přece opakovat nemůžou, že už to lidé znají a že to už se nestane. Ale stalo se. Bohužel.
@@kolomaznik333 agreed! it’s horrible to see modern day Polish misogynistic, homophobic and anti-Semitic regime...
@@kolomaznik333 bohužel s tím musím souhlasit a v historii je opravdu hodně důkazů, kdy lidé zapomněli na historii a ta se pak opakovala.
More on Mácha: Beside the historical events and reasons others have mentioned, the thing with Mácha is that he's basically generally considered the first "modern" Czech poet who used Czech language creatively and really poetically during the period of the Czech National Revival (to sum up, others before him tried to prove the worth of Czech as a language and as a result used the language rather slavishly to prove that it could do what other languages did; he was a young rebel and basically just wrote what he wanted, and proved the language's capabilities much better in the process). Not quite the significance of Shakespeare for English but somewhat similar, if that comparison helps you understand. That would be why he has a nationalist significance.
Thank you Beth!!!
@@sonjabannon8768 You're welcome!
I'd say, this is probably your best video so far. Well written, all the facts are spot on, ballanced, just the right amount of sentiment. And you have clearly researched the hell out if this topic. Well done!!!
I was there in Nov 90 for the 1st anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Being in the US Army stationed in Augsburg, standing there at the top of Václavské náměstí among tens of thousands of Czechs, listening to Havel and Bush was an experience that is etched in my memory forever !! Prague and the Czech Republic have a special place in my heart always !!
Same here, K9. I was also there listening to the presidents in 1990. How have both of their countries changed since. But I was also *there* a year before that, all the way to Národní, with bruises of honor to show for it.
Jen did a great job here
@@pavelh.9 WOW !! You were truly one of many that forced change in your country. My hats off to you !!!
Husina. Všude a celou dobu. Slzy v očích. Díky. Nejlepší video k 17. listopadu.
Great job Jen. Thank you for reminding us the history of the day which we are going to celebrate tomorrow. And how important is this day in our history. Very nice reconstruction. Many thanks. 🇨🇿
Glad you enjoyed it Mari!
@@DreamPrague Your presentation was excellent. It caused a lot of sentiment in me and it reminded me how important this holiday is. You captured the original origin and essence. Someone has already written, this is how it should be learned at school so that everyone can understand why and what is celebrate at this date.
A nice bit of story from the dreaded 17th Nov. 1939. As the nazi soldires came to shut down the Faculty of Law, out of his office in the building came the university rector, Bedřich Hrozný (famed for his deciphering of the hittite language.) He demanded to speak with the commanding officer and asked him to abide by the law and leave the academic premises immediately. So great was his authority in that moment, that the soldires did indeed withdraw and even released some of the students they already captured. The school was shut down later, but many lives were saved.
Thanks for a very well researched and emotional video Jen!
Very well prepared, thanx ... only one misconception ... students were approaching Narodni Třída from
The Opposite direction, otherwise fine job !!!
Great job, Jen. I wish my grandparents were still alive to appreciate your well written story. They were from Cz, but they never shared much about their hard life before moving to PA. I hope i can visit Prague soon. Keep up the good work.
Wow, thank you!
My GPs were from Moravia. I only got to meet my Grandma, and she was already very old. My Grandpa died when my dad was 17. What was your grandparents names?
Jen, your history lesson brought tears to my eyes. I wish you had been my history teacher 50 years ago in school...you tell the stories so well, thoughtful and with compassion and talking directly to your listeners. I have heard it all about the holocaust, I am Jewish and mourn every time I hear about the atrocities that occurred. But with my many trips to CZ I did not know at all the things you told in the video. I thank you for your explanations and details about the special days. BTW I like your choices of music....I can't wait till you do a classical segment about the orchestras and classical scene in CZ.
That's lovely to hear David, thank you for taking the time to tell me!
Perfect! You covered it better than a lot of Czech media. I was a student that time and remember well those few days after that when the struggle continued till the end (not that it will be ever fully accomplished).
Great video. Try to make one in June about Milada Horakova. Another example of people that should be reminded and people who deserve our respect even 70 years later
Nádherné video. Díky Jen. Jak si zmiňovala tu známku s Hitlerem na hradě, připomíná mi to podobný zážitek. Jsem z Liberce a kdysi jsem se díky škole dostala do našeho archivu. Dostali jsme se až do místnosti, kde se uchovávají nejcennější archiválie. A tam nám ukazovali fotografie z návštěvy Hitlera v Liberci. Liberec byl v té době samozřejmě součástí říše. Musím říct, že ta naše krásná radnice ověšená červenými vlajkami s hákovým křížem, to byl strašidelný pohled. Dostalo to najednou reálnější podobu ta doba. Taky tam měli městskou knihu, do které se podepisovaly slavné návštěvy. Hitlerův podpis byl takový pologramotný pidi škrábanec 😁. Ještě jednou díky za video.
Hitler v Liberci?! Muselo by bylo hrozně.
@@DreamPrague Jojo. On byl Liberec v té době součástí Třetí říše a hlavní město sudetoněmecké župy. Tak se u nás hold otočil i Ada 😁. Ty fotky jsou opravdu strašidelné.
What a Great word “ strašidelny “ ! It really makes one shiver somehow. BTW, it would be really a challenge for me to learn to pronounce it perfectly correct. @Dream Prague Jen? Perhaps a challenge that you would be up to as well ? :) Ps. @ReSiHaBru Did I spell it wrong? My autocorrect is making that word all read :(
Funny thing, hearing this told from an outlander's perspective. My mom was at the protest at Narodni, heavily pregnant with me, only about 2 weeks before I was born.
And when I was little, I always thought of her fleeing from snipers and tanks through trenches for some reason. Silly, I know. She's still my hero even if not exactly the action star I imagined when I was 5 :D
Thank you for this Jen, truly. It is an important date and it is nice to see it being appreciated.
Wow this was really educating even for a Czech! My grandfather was one of those sent to a concentration camp in 17. November 1939 and my mom was one of the beaten young people in 17. November 1989. Great job, Jen. Btw the flowers are brought there because Macha and his poem May is all about (tragic) love and people connect the love with Petřín (sort of a traditional "kissing place") and flowers.
Brilliant. Thank you, Jen, for remembering this.
Thank you Jen for sharing this piece of history. This and many other examples of struggle for freedom should never be forgotten.
Very emotional video, incredibly relevant, and the timing couldn't be more right. Thank you for posting it.
Fantastic job yet again 🥰
Thank you for great content over the years. 😃 Cheers
Thank you Jen - a video that was badly needed. Thank you not only to the university students but the gymnazium students too - my wife being one of them who skipped school to demonstrate in Wenceslas Square (EDIT: I have been told to point out - on pain of death - that my wife was 12 in 1989 not 1939!)
You're welcome, Chris!
@Muž z lesa Anglosaský pohádky :) na to oni jsou odporníci :P
Thank you so much for this video, Jen ♥ :)
Thank you so much for this Jenn ❤️🔥
Jen, that was very nicely told. Thank You.
Amazing research and editing, thank you. You have managed to bring me back to those days (I was there as well, exactly 22 years old :o)).
Děkuji Vám za video, o historii se velice zajímám a tak jsem ráda, že tyto další poznatky můžu zařadit do své práce.
Jen tak dál, jste skvělá.
Moc pěkné video díky.
Very well researched and presented. I even learned some new things here.
Super video, you did a great job ! Thank you. You've made me touched... :)
Díky za video👍❤️🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿
Ohhh.... How great story/history teller you are!!!.... Loved it!
Velmi povedené, děkuji Jen 🙂
Thank you, really great video👍💯
Děkuji za toto video. Výborně zpracované. Velice emotivní. Myslím, že je to prozatím tvé nejlepší! Jen tak dál! Good luck! :-)
Wow! Such a nice video! This remindes how we were strong. I almost cry.
I cried with you, Jen. Thank you for this video. 💙
Best history lesson I have ever had since the age of 9 or 10. Thanks, Jen!!
Nádherné perfektní video. Děkuji! A nějak mě to až dojalo.
Heh this was a pretty powerful video form you, very nicely done. :-)
Thank you so much for this and your other historical videos 🙏🏼
Thank you Jen. I love your videos, and as Czech girl living in Scotland 🏴 showing your CZcams help me explain them about history Czech. You’re great 👍 thank you very much xxxx
wonderful video, thx for it!!! For me, this is the most important day in our modern history
Wonderful video, amazing History class. Thank you!
This is absolutely amazing video, very informed and precise. Thank you.
I’m so glad you thought so!
Moc pěkné.Až jsem si přál,aby to video nikdy neskončilo.Děkuji moc
Milá Jen, za tohle video Vám děkuji z celého srdce!
Jen, I’ve enjoyed your videos for a while but this is another level. Great job and thanks so much. I worked in a Prague for a month in 2019 and walked from my apartment in Vinohrady to Smichov every day along Albertov. I can’t wait to come back and experience it with all of this added perspective. You’re great at making me love Prague and Czech Republic even more!
Díky, že jste to vzala od začátku :)
Great job, Jen! You did very good research, I didn't even know few details myself :-)
Thank you for this excellent video, it brought me to tears. Well done!
I'll show this video to my son because you explained it better than I could (and he loves learning English anyway). Thank you, and you have my respect and admiration.
Thank you very much for this!
Thank you for a great video! I wish my history teacher taught me like that. This was so touching.
You are so welcome!
Dear Jenny, when watching your video with a description of all these great moments which were happening 32 years ago and changed my further life to be better, dignified and entirely free, I finally had the same tears in my eyes as those ones I was able to see on the screen in front of me. Thank you....
Hi Jen, you did a great job with this account, congratulations! I lived in Prague for 25 years (between the two events), now in Canada sinice 1968! All the best! Rudy
Tak to je potřetí, co jste mě dostala (překvapila): poprvé výkladem filmu Starci na chmelu, podruhé v roli úřednice patentoveho úřadu, která najde založený patent Járy Cimrmana a potřetí dnes se 17. listopadem. Svědčí to o tom, že už dobře rozumíte Čechům a jejich ovaze. Děkuji.
So this is the third time you have surprised me: for the first time with an interpretation of Starci na chmelu, for the second time as a patent office clerk who finds Jára Cimrman's patent, and for the third time today, November 17th. This indicates that you already understand the Czechs and their mentality well. Thank you.
Wow, an amazing video once again. So interesting and well put together as it is easy to understand. It makes ne think and adds a lot of substance when one walks past and through these areas. Very well done Jen and thank you.
Thank you Alex!
I watched many of your videos Jen and i think this one is the best.
Thank you!
thank you for videos like this... i had tears in my eyes..im 35 .. was 2yrs when it all happened.. but still... i felt impact of that on my own skin in my childhood..
Best video yet Jen. Every day is a school day- I knew bits of the story but you filled in the gaps.
I feel very privileged to join the events happening this year. Diky moc!
Thanks Stuart!
Krásné video!
Thanks for this video, Jen, made me tear up a bit in the end.
I also shared it, I hope it's going to get to more people, it deserves to be seen. :)
Thanks for sharing, Adriana!
Jen, I love your sense of humor! I love every single video you post and thak you for this one :-D I´ve learnt a lot even though I´m a Czech myself...
You are so welcome!
Really, really good work ❤️!
Great video. Many Czechs take this holiday really personally, including me. I remember how dad used to participate on the demonstrations and we children stayed at home with mother hoping, that dad won't be beaten by the police...
Beaten by the police.. regimes and times changes but not the techniques used by them... You either know history or trust ruling regime and media.
Yeah, the story in my family is that father happened to be in the centre of Prague on the 17th and mom was at home listening to the news, terrified... He missed the action that day. He worked in ČKD at the time so the rest of his memories of the time mostly have to do with how the communist leaders descended on ČKD hoping that the workers of one of the biggest factories in the country would surely support the regime, and got a rude awakening when the workers basically listened politely to their speeches and then told them to f-off. :-)
The same are my memories. Dad in the center of Prague and mum sticked to the radio.
Similar in our family. My parents and our neighbours took turns in babysitting for the other couple and went to the demonstrations on alternate days.
Wow. What a great summary! I have goose bumps now. I watched it twice, love your comments, sense of humour and the music... Thank you very much for it. Good job!
Glad you enjoyed it, Jana!
Jen, to bylo zatím tvé nejlepší video. ❤️ Okamžitě ho přeposílám přátelům do Arizony. Přeji Tobě i nám spoustu dalších skvělých videí inspirovaných životem v ČR.
Jen, you are really great. And you already pobably know the Czech history deeper than me. Just Wow. 1968 and 1989 are so emotional for me, that I get tiers in my eyes whenever I see documentaries or Rebelove movie... (shame on those 5 downvotes, would be quite courious to understand who could dislike this video).
Velmi dojemné video.
K.H. Mácha zemřel mladý a stal synonymem lásky, romantismu, mladistvého entuziasmu (wiki). Zřejmě i proto je jeho odkaz oblíben u studentů.
Thank you so much for this overview! I wish my kids were taught in such context and easy-to-understand way on czech schools... You´ve done a really great job not only for expats. Klobouk dolů ;-)!
That is great summary of what happened I saw ever!!! I was 12 in 1989 and as many here, it brings tears in my eyes.
Thank you so much much Jane!
You are so welcome!
Fantastic video, thank you so much Jen! 🤍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Jen. I love this video - so well put together and explained. I think that its the best history lesson on modern czech history that I ever heard (better than my history teacher in gymnasium).
That's really flattering, thank you!
Hi Jen, thank you for the video, I really appreciate the insights and the courage to put it all up on internet (really: sometimes the discussions on this topic can get quite wild and full of weird constructions, especially in the recent few years- which actually is pretty scary). Just on your reflection if you as a 20 something year old student would find the courage and passion to stand up to an oppressor: I would say you would. It just needs that strong oppressor figure (or regime) that make people (especially young people) to stand up and go to the streets or take part in some underground fight. It is very hard to live in the injustice and open oppression when you are young- it makes your blood go to boil. You sort of wait for the older adults to do something about it, but you just hear them complain and be angry but nothing really happens. So one day, you just take a chance and go. It just takes a spark. I remember that was the feeling in 1989 when I was a student.
Hi Jen, we watched this again this year, and it’s just as good as it was last year! My daughter showed me that I commented on this last year, but it was so good, that I was compelled to comment again. Keep up the good work, thank you. Rudy
Amazing video as always... The 17th is always quite emotional for me; my dad participated in the student strike that followed that night and I know that if it wasn't for people like my dad I wouldn't be when I am today... I hope to take some time tomorrow and take a walk to the Czech embassy in London to remind myself of how lucky I am to be able to study here and that I have the generation of my parents to thank for all the freedoms I have...
When I watch your video, I always smile, even if it is a serious topic of Czech history. Czech history has been difficult in every period. Your art of telling serious events in a fun way with light sarcasm is very close to me.
Skvělá přednáška o české historii ! Vášnivě přesvědčivý přednes !
Thanks for wonderful video! Best ever, I would say! Maybe because I was 18 in those November days 1989 struggling for democracy in Znojmo. It was Prague that was the first Friday November 17, 1989, but during the weekend it spreaded out to all the towns of Czechoslovakia, starting from Monday November 20 we the eldst students in Znojmo (there was no university at that time) started the revolution - we were in our last yer of secondary schools, being aged just 18! Full of passion but fear (at the same time), that it could go back - nothing was definite to the way of democracy at least in November or December 1989. Visiting Prague in December 1989 was unforgettable experience of my life of 18 y.o. :)
Thank you, its awesome video and with your coment and knowledge abou Czech history... brings me until to tears.. Its really cool see sameone from California talking abou ours histrory like u, thank u very much fot that .
Děkuji ti, je to úžasné video a s tvým komentářem a znalostmi o České historii mě to dohnalo až k slzám. Je opravdu skvělé vidět někoho z Kalifornie mluvit o naší historie tak jako ty, moc ti za to děkuji.
Ondra 29y.
Good job. Thank you very much.
This is first time I cried remembering Opletal. It's because I remembered my grandfather is buried at the cementary in Náklo, where Jan's grave is too. When I was little girl, my parents told me who he was, and since then I feel the urge to know what democracy is and what is the cost of it. I think it's one of the most important lessons I've learned. And with your video everything fit together. I need to go there again soon.
Jsi úžasná, slzičky ukáply, zavzpiminala jsem si líp než s TV. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏👏👏
Díky moc za toho video ... Jako chlap to nerad přiznávám, ale až mě to dojalo.
Moc a moc chci poděkovat za tohle krásné video. Jste naprosto úžasná s jakou pečlivostí jste si připravila toto video. Je to určitě poučné pro cizince, ale také pro Čechy. A obzvlášť Vám chci poděkovat s jakou pečlivostí jste připravila vyprávění o událostech z let 1938 a1939!!! Perfektní, skvělé, úzasné!!! Protože Bohužel na 17. listopad 1939 se často zapomíná... A tehdy šlo opravdu o život!!! Přeji Vám hodně moc štěstí u zkoušek pro získání českého občanství, protože takové občany potřebujeme! Jste skvělá a děkuji Vám . Tomáš Pospíšil
You made me cry. Thank you for reminding how long way we have come.
Happy you liked it :)