The academic community of Masaryk University will commemorate the closure of all Czech universities on 17 November 1939 at a ceremony to be held on 11 November. On the grounds of the Kounic Residence Halls, which were used as a Gestapo execution site during World War II, Rector Martin Bareš, together with the deans of ten MU faculties and representatives of the MU Academic Senate and the student chambers of the faculty academic senates, will pay tribute to all those who were imprisoned, tortured and executed by the Nazi occupation regime. The public is cordially invited to attend the commemorative gathering, which will begin at 4:30pm.
Dominik Levíček, Chairman of the Student Chamber of the MU Academic Senate, spoke about the impact of the events 85 years ago on today’s students and why they should be remembered. “I think many of us are aware that such a recent historical period shapes and forms us. In particular, the knowledge of the events of November 1939, while painful for us as students and perhaps for society as a whole, makes us all stronger. That is why it is so important to remember them, especially in the context of current global events, when we are once again witnessing threats to liberty and incitement to hatred not far from our borders. I am glad that Masaryk University is promoting awareness of the fundamental values for which many of its students have given their lives and which are the foundation not only of our university but of our entire society.”
The annual ceremony has been held in this form since 2019. From last year, it has included a poignant recording in which the names of the martyrs are read by the actor Jan Kolařík. The sound emballage sensitively incorporates the rustling of the wind, which transforms into the slowing beat of the human heart. This is followed by the wreath-laying ceremony, which has its own special rules. The first to lay a wreath on behalf of the entire University is the Rector together with the Chairman of the Student Chamber of the MU Academic Senate. This is followed by the Deans or other representatives of the individual Faculties, in order of their date of foundation, who lay wreaths together with the chair of the student chamber of the respective faculty’s academic senate.
During the official part of the ceremony, the Masaryk University Choir will sing the Czech national anthem, a part of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, a part of Antonín Dvořák’s Saint Ludmila and Lacrimosa from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem. Candles can be lit during the ceremony and are available on site. “After the official part of the event, the public will also have the opportunity to lay flowers at the memorial,” says Marián Kišš, Chancellor of Masaryk University. “This year, we also thought about how to approach and honour the memory of each victim. We decided that at the end of the ceremony, all participants will have the opportunity to hang cards with the names of the victims on a tree, symbolically forming its leaves,” adds Kišš.