Jan 19, 1969: Czech Student Self-Immolates

Today in True Crime

Parcast

True Crime, Education, History

4.4 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2021

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

20-year-old Jan Palach died three days after setting himself on fire in a protest against Soviet invasion. The act was a rallying cry for his country then, and again twenty years later during the fall of Czechoslovakia’s communist regime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today is Tuesday, January 19th, 2021.
0:09.0	On this day in 1969, Czech student Jan Palach died by self-immolation to protest his country's
0:18.0	recent invasion by Soviet troops.
0:21.1	While his death did not immediately set Czechoslovakia free from its new overlords,
0:26.3	it gave his countrymen a powerful symbol of defiance.
0:37.2	Welcome to Today in True Crime, a Spotify original from Parcast.
0:41.0	Due to the graphic nature of this activist's death, listener discretion is advised.
0:46.1	This episode includes discussions of self-immolation that some people may find disturbing.
0:51.5	We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Today we're diving into
0:56.7	the story of Czech student and activist Jan Palloch. Let's go back to January 19,
1:03.5	1969, to central Prague. word traveled quickly.
1:16.6	Jan Pollock was dead due to the wounds he suffered after setting himself on fire three days earlier.
1:24.2	No one could forget the sight of the blaze, whether they saw it in person or on the news.
1:29.3	The handsome young man, just 20 years old, suddenly flickering behind a sheet of crackling flame.
1:37.3	The sputtering, the smoke.
1:39.3	But if Jan had died to get his message out, that left just one task to those who remained alive.
1:46.1	They had to respond to his rallying call and fight against the Soviet invaders taking over Prague
1:52.7	and all of Czechoslovakia.
1:56.5	The Soviets were intent on crushing the Czech's liberal reforms to sweep the country behind an iron curtain.
2:04.1	But Czech citizens were just as determined to make sure the USSR knew it wasn't welcome.
2:10.8	They refused to be demoralized into submission.
2:14.7	One of the doctors who treated Jan explained the aim of her patients' protest this way.
	...

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