Simona Hradílková

* 1969

  • “Ever since August ’88 when they gathered records about me visiting that demonstration and being active, as soon as some anniversary was approaching, I would spend it in pre-trial detention. I was born on 27 October so I spent both my 18th and 19th birthday in detention since they arrested us the day before. They drove us out of Brno because all the cells in Brno were full – so they’d drive me to Jihlava or Znojmo, for instance. In Jihlava in particular it was really unpleasant because the holiday was on Friday. They arrested me on the 27th but were only allowed to detain me for 48 hours. So, after 48 hours – which meant Saturday – they drove me to the station as if it was it. But then they realized that I was still able to get to some event so they only allowed me to walk up the stairs and then they detained me again, for another 48 hours. On Sunday evening, around or before midnight, they released me from the detention. I had neither the money, nor the means to get back to Brno. There were no cell phones, of course. I then probably convinced some bus driver to take me. It was really unpleasant, obviously.”

  • “There were plenty of activities. We attended court hearing; that was an important thing. Those were court hearings of our friends who were being detained so we traveled and tried to support them. I remember what a shock it was for us back then – or me, anyway – when Pavel Wonka died. One had the feeling that the times were changing but suddenly Pavel Wonka’s death, what a shock… It was clear the war hadn’t been won yet and that such things could still happen. I remember hitchhiking across the whole country to his funeral, and how hard it was for everyone.”

  • “Suddenly, it all went fine and I was employed in Tisk as a cleaning lady. It was – I know that it sounds ridiculous – I had a dream since I was sixteen or seventeen that I’d live in a courtyard balcony flat and work as a cleaning lady. That I end up in a position where there’s nothing left to take from me. That I’d be immune from all the pressure and coercion. People were losing jobs, losing opportunity for decent housing and so on. From the secret police perspective, I was living so down and out that there was virtually nothing they could do to me and moreover, they had a feeling that I was punished for it all. They thought I was living a miserable life, being so socially down. But I of course saw it very differently and was very content with it.”

  • Celé nahrávky
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    Praha, 25.11.2016

    (audio)
    délka: 01:28:18
    nahrávka pořízena v rámci projektu Memory of nations (in co-production with Czech television)
Celé nahrávky jsou k dispozici pouze pro přihlášené uživatele.

Everyone has as much of freedom as one claims

Simona, cca 1988
Simona, cca 1988
zdroj: archiv pamětníka

Simona Hradílková was born on 27 October 1969 in Hranice na Moravě as the second of three children. She grew up in Lipník nad Bečvou. In January 1977 her father Tomáš Hradílek signed the Charter 77 which lead to secret police surveillance over his family. Simona studied a grammar school in Hranice na Moravě and already at that time was interested in unofficial culture; most of all music and literature. As a eighteen-year-old she moved to Brno where she got engaged in the activities of the local dissidents, helping print and distribute unofficial publications, organizing various petitions, attending demonstrations as well as court hearings. She also signed the Charter 77 and is among the founding members of the Friends of the USA Society. Due to her anti-regime activities she was followed by the secret police, arrested and held in detention several times. Simona Hradílková is divorced, has four children and lives in Brno.