Jan Palach was a Czech student of history and political economy at Charles University in Prague. His self-immolation was a political protest against the end of the Prague Spring resulting from the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact armies.
Palach’s funeral at Prague’s Olšany Cemetery on January 25 turned into a huge demonstration against the Soviet occupation. But Palach was not to find peace even in his grave. During October of 1973, without asking the family’s permission, the Secret Police had him cremated and replaced Palach with the body of an elderly lady in the Olšany grave. His ashes remained with his mother in Všetaty. The police would not even allow her to put the urn in the local cemetery until 1974. The Secret Police watched his grave, forbidding followers from placing flowers on Palach’s resting place. Palach’s ashes were transported to Olšany in 1990.
It would be a long time before democracy and freedom came to Czechoslovakia and Palach would be officially recognised as a martyr.
To be sure, Palach’s actions were not in vain. He stood up to the harsh regime while others merely accepted the political situation. He gave his life because he believed in democracy and human rights. And he will never be forgotten.
