The Political Prisoner
The Plastic People Band - Charter 77 - Imprisonments (1976 - 1983)

Tens of thousands of citizens are not allowed to work in their own branches simply because they hold opinions which differ from official opinions. At the same time they are frequently the object of the most varied forms of discrimination and persecution on the part of the authorities and social organizations, they are deprived of any possibility of defending themselves and are virtually becoming the victims of apartheid.

Charter 77, 1977

Lecture´s Summary

In the introductory part of this lesson the students return to the trial of The Plastic People of the Universe. Next, the lesson is focused on the International Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in 1975, held in Helsinki, Finland. That is where the Czechoslovak government signed the treaty pledging to uphold human rights which, in fact, were not respected in this country. Charter 77 was the resulting response of the opponents of the regime to the signing of the treaty. The students will learn about how the initial proclamation of Charter 77 was created, how the regime responded and how Charter 77 became a broad community of people who, eventually for more than twelve years, strived to advocate rights and freedoms in the totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Lesson three ends with the release of Vaclav Havel from prison in 1983.

Lesson 3 - The Political Prisoner

Aims of the Lecture

Understand, using the Plastic People’s trial as an example, the violation of human rights in the then Czechoslovakia
Understand the reasons behind the creation of Charter 77 and its transformation into a community of opponents to the regime
Put the life of Vaclav Havel in the period context and show the consequences resulting from his opposition to the regime