FFWPU Europe and the Middle East: Juraj Lajda - Remembering Unificationists Imprisoned and Tortured by Communists

by Dr. Juraj Lajda

From the vernissage in Bratislava 2nd October 2024

“The Principle People - History of an Uncommon Story” was the title of the vernissage [Editor’s note: preview of exhibition] and exhibition held at the Peace Embassy of Bratislava on October 2, 2024. The exhibition commemorated the 50th anniversary of the persecution and conviction of the first members of the Unification Movement in what was then Czechoslovakia.

Anton Uhnák (2024) Alžbeta (Betka) Danišková Marie Živná in prison (1973) (2023)

The “Principle People” movement arrived in Czechoslovakia from Austria following the occupation in 1968. Its ideas rapidly spread throughout the country, especially inspiring the youth. Due to the anti- Marxist orientation of their teachings, members quickly attracted the attention of the State Security (StB).

In 1973, the State Security launched an unprecedented action resulting in the prosecution and sentencing of over 30 young individuals to prison terms ranging from one to nearly five years. It was the largest political trial in Czechoslovakia at the time. The vernissage featured authentic testimonies from the first members and their prison experiences.

The exhibition opened with a performance by a female trio consisting of Ernestína Lajdová, Marcela Magušinová, and Dorota Šimeková, who sang songs from that era.

Betka Danišková, the national leader at the time, served 4 years and 4 months in prison. During her speech, she recalled her time in pre-trial detention and her last meeting in the prison corridor with Marie Živná, who died a few days later in her cell under unexplained circumstances. She recounted how she was devastated by the news of Živná’s death and often cried into her towels, with her prison roommate cautioning her against crying too much to avoid headaches.

Anton Uhnák, another group member sentenced to 3 years and 8 months, remarked that the Principle People followed certain rules and laws differing from those of Marxism-Leninism. It was a struggle between absolute materialism and theological idealism. “We did not want struggle, but cooperation,” he stated. The Marxists planned to Dr. Juraj Lajda, Photo establish a communist society by 2000, but they failed to consider that (2024) there was also a divine plan. The regime tried to silence us. Our main distinction from other groups was our status as an international movement.

Juraj Lajda, who also acted as the MC, spent 3 years and 2 months in prison. He described the story as one of incredible faith, hope, and determination among young people searching for life’s meaning and possessing ideals to improve society. Unfortunately, they lived under a totalitarian regime that suppressed divergent views during a period of emerging normalization. Their faith and conviction, coupled with their determination, made totalitarianism seem like an insignificant obstacle compared to the ideals they championed.

Miroslav Rybár, the current president of the Family Federation in Slovakia, expressed gratitude to the group’s first members for their dedication. “Without their foundation, we would not be here today,” he said. He also mentioned Emi Steberl, the first missionary who brought these ideas to former Czechoslovakia, despite the dangers, when it would have been easier to stay in Austria. The strength of the Principle People’s ideas endured beyond the fall of communism. “Creating a world of peace centered on God and good families is not easy,” Rybár concluded.

The last speaker, Dr. Jerguš Sivoš, Chairman of the Board of the Barbara Grabner. Photo Nation’s Memory Institute, said that it was the greatest repression of a (2024) religious group at that time. Yet, the Principle People stood up to this arduous test, defending their religious convictions and inner freedom. The investigation file is over 3,000 pages long. He then read out the names of 18 convicted individuals.

Dorota Šimeková recited her own poem, written on the day (10th October 1974) the Supreme Court in Slovakia announced the final verdict. The MC then introduced the 15 exhibition panels and lectures prepared for the following days of the exhibition. Barbara Grabner presented the trailer for the documentary video “The Struggle for Truth and Justice”. Dorota Šimeková The vernissage concluded with a citation from President Václav Havel on the last panel of the exhibition:

“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something is worthwhile, no matter how it turns out.”

Afterward, approximately 70 participants had the opportunity to view the exhibition.

Text: Dr. Juraj Lajda

Related to communist prison ordeals: First Martyr in Communist World Commemorated

Also related to communist prison ordeals: 18 Survived Years in Communist Prison, 1 Did Not

More, related to communist prison ordeals: Exhibition Shock: “Members Treated Like Animals”

Also related to communist prison ordeals: Japan: 4300 Abductions and Forcible Detentions

Also related to communist prison ordeals: 50 Years since Communist Crackdown

Also related to communist prison ordeals: New Admission by Top Japanese Communist

Also related to communist prison ordeals: 50 Years since Lee’s First Critique of Marxism

More, related to communist prison ordeals: Sent to Death Camp to Die

Yet more, related to communist prison ordeals: Years in Hell of Concentration Camp

Still more, related to communist prison ordeals: Liberated by UN Forces

Even more, related to communist prison ordeals: The Unification Church

And yet more, related to communist prison ordeals: Encounter with Jesus

And still more, related to communist prison ordeals: The Unification Principles

And still more, related to communist prison ordeals: Holy Marriage in 1960

And even more, related to communist prison ordeals: The Founding

Related to communist prison ordeals: Large Wedding Ceremonies

Activist Lawyers, Media Frenz ( 11

JAPAN • MEDIA • RELIGIOUS FREEDOM • COMMEMORATING • VARIOUS • REVIEWS •

18 Survived Years In Communist Share li’IEIEIEIEI Prison, 1 Did Not • Apri l 18, 2024: • Knut Holdhus

Exhibition Remembering Communist Prison Ordeals October 10, 2024

Strong Prote sts Aga inst “Unjust Dissolutio n “ October 9, 2024

Key Religious Freedom: Right To Conve rt Others October 8, 2024

Ill Japan Clearly Violating Its Rights Commitments October 7, 2024

Courts Usin g Debunked Concepts Against Minority October 6, 2024

Activ ist Lawyers, Media Fren zy, A brave martyr in the former Sw ayable Kishida Czechoslovakia - 50th anniversary of the October 5, 2024

- death of Marie Zivna in a communist Dissolution Case: prison cell Wild Claims, Illegal A ctions Part 2 of a series commemorating Marie Zivn6. See part 1, part 3 October 4, 2024

by Dr. Jura} Lajda, publisher.

On 13t h April 2024, w e commemorat e d the 50 t h an n iversa ry of t he passing of Marie Zivna, a Unific ation Churc h martyr in the former Czechoslovakia.

To mark the occasion, th e Czech chapter of Search. .. the Family Federatio n , together w ith t he m unic ipal auth or ities of t h e Czech vil lage of Svojanov, w here Marie was born, o rgan ised a Categories Dr. Jura} Laj da, Photo memorial m eeting in the Town Hall. (2024): Personal Distinguished guest s and vi llage residents part icipated.

The large Czech o nli ne new spaper Novinky.cz reports,

Novinky.cz “From an early age, Ma ri e Zivna was shaped by the Send us a message

First Na me * Last Name environment in wh ich she grew up. Her father was a castellan in a medieval castle, w here she watched him paint pictures on winter evenings. It was her love of history and art that led her to study art history at the Faculty of Philosophy in Brno. She was just about to graduate, Email * • and she had also w ritten her diploma thesis, in which she Email Address researched a set of Gothic churches in the Svojanov reg ion. In the end, however, everything turned out differently.” (Novinky l Sth April 2024, translated from Czech. Original article) Yo ur Message *

In 1972 Marie met members of the Unificatio n Churc h at the university in Brno and soon joined this n ew and fast growing movement . It didn’t take long before it attracted the attention of the secret services. They rea lised the movement from South Korea was opposed to communism . Submit The first member was arrested on 11th September 1973, and one week after that, many believers in Bratislava and other cities were taken into custody. A trial took p lace months later w here 18 young men and women we re found gui lty of “subverting the republic”. They received uncondit ional prison sentences of up to five years. 19 wou ld have been sentenced, but one of th em, Marie Zivna, died in her prison cell before the tria l took p lace.

The mayor of Svojanov emphasized i n his opening speech that during the time of communism, people could not free ly practice their re ligion.

Theatre crit ic Jiff P. Kriz, w ho met Marie during joint activities at the Society of Philosophy Listeners, said:

“Marie Zivna’s heroism is not a showy standing on the barricades. She was a pure girl from Svojanov who managed to resist and until t h e end not give in. To t h is day, nobody knows anything about this.”

Theatre critic Jiff P. The next speake r was Kffi. Photo: FFWPU Milena Blatna, BEng, the president of the Confederation of Political Prisoners in the Czech Republic. She described the at mosphere of t he 19S0s and 1970s under the communist regime. Marie lost her life for her ideals, and no one causing this tragedy was punished, Mrs. Blatna said. Milena Blatn6, BEng, the president Dr. Juraj Lajda, the moderator of t he event, w ho of the himself spent 3 years and 2 months in communist Confederation of prison, reca lled: Political Prisoners in the Czech “In 1990, I visited Marie’s parents in Svojanov, Republic. Photo: together w ith Dr. Andrew Wi lson, an FFWPU American professor. The father of Marie showed us a telegram that had come from Bratislava. It said, ‘Your daughter has died; come and get her things immediately.”’

Lajda declared w ith emotion that Marie must not be forgotten. “She is a ro le model; she represents noble values and a noble c h aracter,” he added. Then he gave a short presentation describing the history of the Unification Movement.

Afterwards, a short video was shown in which Alzbeta Daniskova, leader of the Unific atio n Churc h at that t ime and the main person in the t ria l, spoke about Marie Z iv na. Alzbeta was given a four years and fou r months prison sentence by the totalitarian regime.

Ali beta Daniskov6. Photo: Erna Mae Leskovjansky

Another speaker was Anton Uhnak, BEng, w ho served three years and eight months Anton Uhn6k. Photo: Maria Uhn6kov6. behind bars. He recalled FFWPU Photo: FFWPU that in 1968 there was the Prague Spring movement , but Soviet t anks soon interrupted the reform process. At that t i me, Reverend Moon fou nded International Federation for Victory over Communism.

“We need young people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for God . We need to fi nd the logic of love,” Uhnak concluded.

Dorota Simekova, the next speaker, was jai led by t h e com munist ru le rs for t h ree yea rs and eight months. She pointed o ut that true freedom means freedom of t he sou l, and added tha t Marie ought to have been crowned for her h um ility.

Maria Uhnakova was he ld prisoner for three years and two mon t h s. For her, Marie Zivna had a deep heart. When Maria prayed for hours and t ho ught Dorota Simekov6. of Marie Zivna, images of flow ers always cam e to Photo: FFWPU her.

“Marie left t his world w it h a rad iance ema nating fro m her, li ke the ‘princess of Svojanov”’, Maria Uhnakova sa id.

W ith a touching deep inner feelin g, sh e recited a poem she herself w rote, dedicated t o Marie Zivna.

Marcela Cregurkova, MD, a medical doct or who joined the Family Federation after the fa ll of communism in 7990, said that many young people at t hat t ime searched for t he meaning of life and for God. After the fal l of communism, it was possible to spea k about God free ly. But this was not possi b le for t hose who lived before t hat t i me. Marie Zivna lost her life because of her fai t h.

Finally, Suzana Strkulova, the current president of the Fam i ly Federation in t he Czech Republic, said that she had not expe rienced hard line communism. Everybody has the id ea l to have a good family, to have child ren and to be happy. Marie Zivna was never allowed t o h ave that, and t hat made her sacrifice all t h e greater.

In t he next part of t he program, ot hers in the audience had t he chance t o speak. Many expressed t hat th ey had known Ma rie since childhood and described her as t h e best person they had met. One woman recalled going to school with her. She remembered Marie as a great g irl.

Novinky.cz included t he words of Frantisek Benes, a friend of Marie from her university days, who helped Marie photographing c hu rches for her thesis,

“Wh en that terrible t e legram Novinky.cz arrived, I was at t he fact ory. It was a shock throughout the vi llage. It spread li ke w ildfi re: ‘Ma ruska died in prison.’

One person commented on it sayi ng: ‘Well, w hat did she wan t? Society gave h er an educatio n, and she j o ined ant i-stat e grou ps.’

My b lood started bo iling. I shou ted at him: ‘Do you approve of this? ’

Shortly after, my supervisor called me, ‘Hey Franto, watch you r mouth. I’ve got a repo rt against you for insu lting t he party.’ That’s how it was bac k t h en.”

Afterwards, the part icipants w ent to the loca l cemetery w here Marie is b u ried . Here they laid wreath s, sang, and prayed.

The memori al meeting was attended by over 90 people, mostly local residents w ho for m any years h ad not been able t o t a lk abou t t his case.

Those who attended the m eet ing expressed their appreciation, because it allowed t hem to learn more about the circu mstances of Marie Zivna’s life an d death. Guests also came from Slovakia and Austria.

Marie Zivna’s brother attended th e meeting with his w ife and daught er.

On 75th April, the largest Internet newspape r Novinky.cz covered the event. Their article was penned by a reg ional journalist w ho attended the commemorative meeting.

“78 Survived Years in Communist Prison, 1 Did Not” - text: Dr. Juraj Lajda, 76th April 2024

Part 2 of a series commemorating Marie Zivn6. See part 7, part 3

Featured image above: Marie Zivn6 in the communist prison Autumn 1973. Photos From the g rave of the taken by prison authorities. From the Z ivna family. Photo: archive of FFWPU Slovakia. FFWPU

Related to communist prison: First Martyr in Communist World Commemorated

Also related to communist prison: 50 Years since Communist Crackdown

More related to communist prison: Sent to Death Camp to Die

Yet more related to communist prison: Years in Hell of Concentration Camp

Still more related to communist prison: Liberated by UN Forces

Even more related to communist prison: The Unification Church

And yet more related to communist prison: Encounter with Jesus

And still more related to communist prison: The Unification Principles

And even more related to communist prison: 50 Years since Communist Crackdown

And still more related to communist prison: Holy Marriage in 1960

And even more related to communist prison: The Founding

Related to communist prison: Large Wedding Ceremonies

Previous Next « First Martyr In Communist W… Scholar Warns Of Threats To … »