Josef Čermák

* 1924

  • "Again, I had no intention of making the airport a profitable venture. For me, it was important to have your hangar, your aircraft, and the runway. But then the people came and asked if they could leave on the plane, and it all started. This was not prepared, I had no business plan."

  • Richard Krpac: "One of the most important cornerstones, actually the most important one in the National Theatre comes from the mountain Rip. Nearby Rip Hill was born one of the cornerstones of Czech community in Canada, the doctor Josef Cermak. " Josef Cermak: "Right, but also there was born Josef Hora, who was born in Roudnici and hence Karel Toman." Richard Krpac: "How do you remember the first republic, the political situation in the first republic?" Josef Cermak: "Those who were born there and lived there, consider this the best time of your life. And since then, there occurred no one would have so much respect, so much love and admiration as Masaryk. I remember him one of the festival, it was on horseback. A Masaryk was grown with the horse. On Masaryk was interesting that he came from a poor background and yet it was the smartest politician in Europe, and it includes all the kings and others. He has great charm, beautifully looked. My next memory is completely different, it was his death. His coffin drove into the ropes and of course, the way was lined with thousands of people. And I was one of them. I sat in a ditch and waited for the coffin go around. He was an extremely powerful moment. Of course, if we talk about the death of Masaryk, it is almost impossible to remember Seifert verses. Death can be described in various ways. Eg .: Today in the morning he died Tomáš Masaryk. Seifert said it a little differently: 'It murky morning, I remember, my child. That moment before half past three in the morning, the moment and the end of dying when death touched wrinkles on the forehead and left early morning mist ... 'suddenly there is only Masaryk, and there is a death that comes and touches his wrinkles and leaves mist into the night.

  • Richard Krpac: "And how do you assess the summers presidency Edvard Benes?" Josef Cermak: "I think that what happened in Munich, the complete debacle, when we announced the mobilization, and then we canceled it immediately, and it's not a strict criticism of Benes. I do not know what any of us would decide, if we had to make that decision. But we certainly lost by that decision. Again, it reminds me of the poem. Again, it reminds me (NB .: Seifert) poem, 'If you go by the bridge, which we love, in the flush of fame roaring water gradient. A river lies. Her speech is different and it is in the age-old fidelity. So Welcomes mother lost a son who happily returns from afar. I agates in the chapel rained, I saw them, I know their luster. But tears of happiness flowing at the moment, are rare: to the people wept with happiness. 'When Benes funeral I was with some colleagues from the village detained. I was locked up for about a fortnight, I think Pankrác. The prison was crowded, it was interesting. Then me one of my friends said, 'Look, here you get out of here fast. In you it's too deep, you would have to beat them. '"

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    Kanada, 13.01.2011

    (audio)
    délka: 28:10
    nahrávka pořízena v rámci projektu The Recollections of Witnesses from Slánsko and Slaný
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The truth should never be underestimated

Josef Čermák
Josef Čermák
zdroj: Pamět národa - Archiv

Josef Cermak was born on November 15, 1924 in Skurach. He graduated from the grammer school called Vaclav Benes Trebizkeho in Slane, 1943. He was forced into labor in Poldi Kladno and after the war began, he started to study at the School of Law at Charles University. Throughout February of 1948, he attended student demonstrations, including a march to the Prague castle. During the funeral of President Edvard Benes, he was arrested. A short time after his release, he decided to emigrate. He spent several months in refugee camps in Bavaria, and in April of 1949 he emigrated to Canada. He went through a series of jobs in from then until 1950, when he joined the Toronto Public Library. After coming to Canada, he was an active member of clubs and on the boards of a number of companies that dealt with cultural and sports organizations. He sought to provide free legal assitance to the needy, organized a series of educational events about relations between Canada and the Czech Republic. With Milo Kubik, he created dozens of Czech, Slovak, and English programs for Toronto television, and co-organized exchange concerts between Canada and the Czech Republic. Jounralism and theatre played an important role in his life, and he holds a range of international awards and honors. These include the Epstein Award, Arbor Award, membership in the gorup 175, and Commemorative Medal from the president of the Czech Republic.