“Novembers” and Their Impact on Czech History












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            * “Novembers” and Their Impact on Czech History
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            The Novembers exhibition of CU (Karolinum, 17. 11. 2014 – 28. 2. 2015) explored the crucia

            17th of November whilst simultaneously exploring the power and manipulation of history; as
            to the exhibition stated “this is a story of a myth, political kitsch and calculated propa
            The exhibition concentrated on the two Novembers of 1939 and 1989 and the “violence perpet

            defenceless students whose protests have twice had an impact on Czech history.”  The exhib
            the historical events of the 1939 and 1989 Novembers; their connections, similarities and 
            November 1939 was the last month of open anti-German demonstrations in Czech lands until a

            War II. The 15th of November 1939 was the funeral of CU student Jan Opletal, which became 
            against German Occupation which was met with severe oppression by the Nazi response. The N

            on the 16th and 17th of November. It was a response of mass arrests, executions and deport
            people to concentration camps; to quote the exhibition: “this is how one of the most vivid
            the twentieth-century was born.” It caused radicalisation of many students joining resista

            outside of Czech lands.                                   
            November 1989 was resistance to a different system, the Communist regime, where on the 17t
            Czechoslovakian communist security brutally attacked demonstrating students who were comme

            events of November of 17th 1939 using it as a symbol to resist their contemporary oppressi
            brutal oppression of students caused more and more people to resist the Communist regime, 
            previously greatest asset of the “silent majority.”

            The difference between these events, the exhibition argues, is that 1939 was the ending of
            sophisticated, systematic oppression of a system in control whereas 1989 was the start of 
            was crude brutality of a demising system. But both contained the same message that “one-of

            little or nothing unless it is followed up.”
            Novembers did not leave the events of November the 17th of 1939 and 1989 as isolated but s
            period of other resistant. For example, the exhibition discussed the boycott of public tra

            summer of 1939. It also looked at the events of November 1939 as a symbol for resistance t
            utilised in 1989. In November 1940 students from Czech lands studying in London created a 
            to mark the anniversary and as anti-German activism. Doctor František Buriánek’s statement

            radio report is another example of the exhibition exploring the symbolic use of November t
            Buriánek said “November the 17th did not end with our fate in concentration camp… it is a 
            of the old struggle, though in a new changed international situation, though with better p

            Buriánek’s speech highlights that the meaning of November did not stay the same. One of th
            the exhibition explains how in the 1950s its meaning was anti-German, in the 1960s the emp
            peace and then under the normalisation era it took on the meaning of anti-imperialism, ant

            anti-racism. The exhibition concluded in contemporary society it has taken on a meaning of
            changes.
            The exhibition pointed out how anniversaries “are a time for us to revisit the past and to

            where we are going”; a general trend of historical anniversaries shown in events of the su
            exploring World War I, the event, its impact and its continuing legacy. It also highlights
            only caused the present but is part of it.

            The exhibition presented the history of these two dates through an array of different sour
            is first shown a summary of the exhibition written by the producers of Novembers. These su
            provided throughout the exhibition to bring together the different sources of each section

            a timeline which put the events in context. Through the exhibition books were included on 
            resisted in connection to either of the 17th of Novembers. These books contained a short d
            the person, their life, their resistance and photographs of them. This added a very person

            exhibition, making Marek Frauworth not just one of the persons who were executed in 1939 b
            with friends, family and ambitions.  The Novembers were also presented through film; this 
            only part of the exhibition not accessible to English speakers. The exhibition also includ

            of maps of Europe, one of 1939 and one of 1989, which linked student resistance and repres
            around Europe. For instance, the 1943 fire at Oslo University that was used as propaganda 
            University and oppress students was marked on the map.  The exhibition also contained mate

            the banners used at the protests, photographs, propaganda posters of both regimes and vide
            brutality of 1989.
            The Novembers exhibition explored the symbolic date through multiple different sources and

            to highlight that “November the 17th is not just a historical date in the calendar.”