Famous Last Words

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.6 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk is viewed as the founder of the modern Czech state – a George Washington-like figure. When he died in the 1930s, his final words were sealed in an envelope…which then passed from his son, who died under mysterious circumstances in the 1940s, to a secretary’s flat in Scotland, to being stashed away in the National Archives, with instructions not to open the envelope until 2025. This September, the envelope was revealed to the public for the first time. So what were Masaryk’s famous last words?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Johanna, what's up?
0:02.4	Hello, Amanda. How are you?
0:04.3	Pretty good. So yesterday I sent you a Wikipedia page.
0:09.8	Yes.
0:11.0	To look through.
0:12.6	I enjoyed this Wikipedia page.
0:14.8	It's the final words of notable people, aka famous last words.
0:18.9	Yes. Anything on there, tickle your fancy?
0:21.5	Okay, yes.
0:22.2	This was from the pre-5th century subcategory.
0:26.6	Okay.
0:27.1	Deep cuts.
0:28.7	This was from a Hittite king.
0:33.9	And the quote is, wash me well.
0:38.3	Hold me to your breast.
0:40.0	Protect me from the earth lying against your breast.
0:44.3	And it says that he was probably addressing either his wife or his favorite concubine.
0:52.4	Dang.
0:53.7	And it sounds like he was referring more to the person's breasts in question.
0:57.6	It seems like it might be the concubine.
0:59.9	Yeah.
1:00.6	I enjoy this page.
	...

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