First international conference: 17 November 1939, the historical legacy of the future - News service

Publication date:

2024/11/26

An international conference on the topic of 17 November 1939 was held in Bethlehem Chapel. The opening speech was given by Ing. Zdeňka Valouchová, chairwoman of the Association of Liberated Political Prisoners and Survivors, prof. JUDr. Václav Pavlíček, CSc., chairman of the Foundation "Endowment of Josef, Marie and Zdeňka Hlávková", prof. RNDr. Marketa Martínková, Ph.D., vice-rector of Charles University, and doc. RNDr. Vojtěch Petráček, CSc., Rector of Czech Technical University in Prague. The event was held under the auspices of Czech Technical University.

The programme of the professional part was led by PhDr. Markéta Pánková and was as follows:
1. Introduction to history: Ing. Vlastislav Janík
/Director of the Regional Museum Prague - East, member of SOPVP - HS Mauthausen/

2. My memorial activities in Luxembourg and in the ISK Sachsenhausen, a brief his-tory of the ISK and the future role of the ISK: José Traufler
/Vice President of the International Sachsenhausen Committee (ISK) - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg/

3. Zapomenuté vyhlazování – příslušníci polské a české inteligence
v KT Sachsenhausen na počátku 2. světové války: Prof. Dr. Günter Morsch
/ředitel Gedenkstätte und das Museum Sachsenhausen v letech 1993-2018, Spolková republika Německo/

3. Forgotten Extermination - Members of the Polish and Czech Intelligentsia
in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp at the beginning of World War II: Prof. Dr. Günter Morsch
/Director of Gedenkstätte und das Museum Sachsenhausen 1993-2018, Federal Republic of Germany/

4. Historical legacy of the students of 17 November 1939: Prof. PhDr. Jozef Leikert, Ph.D.
/Universita Komenského, Bratislava, Slovak Republic/
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On the activities of the Czech representation in the ISK in the 60 years since the establishment of the ISK: Ing. Alois Martínek, /Representative of the Czech Republic in HS Sachsenhausen, member of SOPVP/

V. Srdečný , the last living student and his appeals to European society:

PhDr. Markéta Pánková, /emeritus director of the National Museum of Education and the JAK Library; member of SOPVP/

Before and after the 17 November 1939, personal memories - Ing. Miroslav Kaliba /member of the SOPVP Board/
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The conference also featured the tunes Die Moorsoldaten, a song that is a symbol of solidarity, bravery and incredible mutual humanity of political prisoners in the labour camps set up by the Nazis, and is sung at the end of all commemorative gatherings at "Station Z" in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and Guardian Angels. The choir Bohemia Chór FP TUL and students of the Technical University of Liberec sang (choirmaster: MgA. Jana Konvalinková Ph.D., the choir was directed by student Kateřina Fišerová, Piano accompaniment by Mgr. Jiří Rozkovec).