English Translation

210 -2 - There is a representative of the csl. student community speaking, who was eyewitness to the events of last November I believe that no one at your home has forgotten the events that took place in Prague a year ago. And I just want to assure you today that we are thinking with you today of this anniversary in London with pain. At 8 o'clock in the evening, when the Germans pulled the badges down from the Czechs, an SS-man from the service revolver in Korngasse shot down the medical student Jan Opletal, who was badly wounded in the hospital kenahsu and died there in the 4 days after futile efforts to get his wounds. He walked stily of us this martyr without a word of reproach. He went into battle for the justice of the world, but he died with his 24 years without having felt the victory in his heart. On November 2nd his colleagues gave him a beautiful and solemn funeral and Prague did his best, as always, when it accompanied his best sons on their last way. The colleagues of the victim carried the silver coffin through the great silence of the trellis in Prague. The coffin was completely covered with flowers and wreaths. The loops all had the short, equally chewing inscription: "We will not forget". The coffin then was taken to Moravia in the Fami liengrab. This ceremonial student funeral used the Germans for new terrible persecutions of high school students. They did not disgust themselves with violating the law of the free foot of the academic ground. They invaded the universities everywhere and crowned their barbarity with the fact that in the night from the l6th to the l7th. No- vember from 4 o'clock in the morning to the teeth armed with MG and sham guns entered the student's home, opened the doors with pistons and brought all the students out of the beds without exceptions and led them away. They were pushed into the red-white buses of the city of Prague and brought to Rusyn in the barracks. I too was one of these 3ooo students. When we got out, each of us went a bloody way to the Reitarena, where a warrant for arrest was issued for everyone from un-s to Oranien- burg. The bestiality of the Germans celebrated their triumph. At the l7.il. 9 leaders of the student organizations were shot behind our backs in the barracks of Rusyn. Ten times as much was shot in the Scharka / near Prague or killed while transporting from the homes. This was the punishment for having given a funeral to our colleague Opletal. But this alone was not enough. They not only murdered innocent students, but also attacked the whole Czech people's lives. They have reached the climax by closing all Czech universities for three years, expropriating the buildings that occupied student homes. Thus, the root of Czech cultural life should be broken. Thus the Nazi government has kept the promise of cultural autonomy, given and signed by the leader on 16.3.39. This crime started a year ago, must be avenged once, the work we do here abroad with Dr. Benesch at the Spitge hand in hand with our great friend England for the future of our people to afford and advance, will not be for nothing, just as not for nothingwwwar en all the sacrifices that bring her home and the Jan Opletal as well as hundreds of others paid with the life. - 3 -