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Are
Slovaks trying to ignore the dark parts of their history by building memorials
to communists and leaders of the first Slovak state? Do you agree with this article’s analysis as to why Slovaks are
attracted these periods? Should the
government forbid or limit such memorials?
Is their vandalism justified?
Sections 421 and 422 of the Criminal Code of Slovak republic concerns the issue of supporting and promoting groups aimed at suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. They state, that “any person who supports or makes propaganda for” or “any person who publicly demonstrates, in particular by using flags, badges, uniforms or slogans, his fellow feelings towards a group of persons or movement which, using violence, the threat of violence or the threat of other serious harm, demonstrably aims at suppressing citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms shall be liable to a term of imprisonment between six months and five years.” Two things concerning the article and Biľak's memorial itself came to my mind when I read the Criminal Code:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, nowadays in Slovakia the Nazi or Neo-Nazi movement is considered a movement that “demonstrably aims at suppressing citizens' fundamental rights”. Symbols of Nazi Germany including swastika, the SS bolts, the Nazi eagle, numbers 14 and 88, the Death's head (Totenkopf) and others cannot be publicly promoted. During the last decades, there have been various cases of individuals accused and imprisoned or fined because of demonstrating fellow feelings towards Nazism – by wearing shirts with slogans, by displaying tattoos of Nazi symbols, etc. Even though I do not view the measures taken against the Nazi movement in Slovakia as completely sufficient – because the murder of Daniel Tupý and the assault of Hedviga Malinová still haven't been properly investigated and penalized, because events such as the recent March for Independent Slovakia are still feasible, because the leader of a far-right Peoples' Party Marián Kotleba became the Governor of one of the Regions of Slovakia – but the issue is at least legislatively treated. On the other hand, however, the above mentioned sections of the Slovak Criminal Code do not apply to the symbolism of the Communist movement – the symbolism that includes the five-pointed red star or the hammer and sickle. Nevertheless, Communism is an ideology as destructive as Nazism and therefore it's propagation should be treated the same way. According to statistics, the number of the victims of Holocaust (and therefore the Nazi movement) in Slovakia is higher – approximately 70,000. On the other hand, the number of the victims of the Communistic regime rates only as high as 5, 050. Worldwide, however, Communism appears to be a much more violent ideology – the estimated number of victims of Communism is about 85 to 100 million compared to the number of 12 to 16 million victims of Nazism and Holocaust. In various European post-communistic countries – including Poland, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania – demonstration of the symbols of these two movements is dealt with and punished equally. I believe that the double standard employed in Slovakia when dealing with symbolism of extremist movements should be changed and the symbols of Communism should be treated in the same way as the symbols of Nazism.
And secondly, how come using flags, badges or uniforms is considered as promoting a movement, but erecting a memorial of a leader of such movement, on the contrary, is viewed as completely legal? I am genuinely alarmed by the number of memorials dedicated to the leaders of either the Communistic or Nazi regime that have been built in various Slovak cities over the years. Because by building a memorial to a leader of the Communistic Party – such as Biľak was – you are simultaneously praising the Party itself and thus the historical role it played. The erection of such memorials should be considered as public demonstration of a movement aimed at suppressing peoples' fundamental rights and therefore banned.
In a short conclusion, I believe that promoting both the Nazi and Communistic movement should be equally considered as illegal and that erecting memorials to leaders of movements that suppressed the freedom of all citizens should be regarded as such promotion as well.
Vasil Biľak is a communist criminal. That’s a fact that shouldn’t be questioned. He was the person who invited Warsaw Pact armies 1968. This invitation resulted in twenty years of stagnation to Czechoslovakia which is the reason why the standard of living in Slovakia is worse than in other western democratic countries. It feels sad to imagine how much better off our country would be if it was not for the occupation. And Biľak is one of the people who is directly responsible.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why the people from Krajná Bystrá don’t think about him this way is their ignorance. These people don’t look at this person clearly. They have decided that they don’t want to see the dark side of this person and his actions but only the ones which they benefited from. I talk about how much he did for this village. He helped to direct there the money that would not get there any other way.
This is the problem of Slovak people: if some political figure of a twisted regime did something that that they benefited from they start to like this figure no matter how many crimes this person had done. And they tend to worship this figure even decades after the regime is over and its crimes came to the surface. This logic is ill. For example we don’t start to adore a killer just because he was nice to us in the past.
We should not build memorials to communist or nazi criminals no matter how many good they might have done for some region or group of people. We should never start to appreciate these kind of people no matter what. Because if we, it is like we do not mind the horrible things they did.
Every time I read an article similar to this one, I feel happy that I live in Bratislava. Here, not only the amount of Nazi and Communism followers is much lower, but people also dare to speak against these ideologies. I do not mean to say that all people in central or eastern Slovakia support non-democratic regimes. However, these regions are the strongholds of these ideologies in Slovakia. But why? Are massive campaigns going on there? Or is it a way of opposing the government?
ReplyDeleteTo understand why so many people support non-democratic regimes, we must look at what happened after the revolution. The stability and certainty of communism was replaced by an era of unemployment, debts and social instability. While in the western part of Slovakia people most often survived this turbulent era quite unharmed and the salaries grew, the rest of the country was not so fortunate. "Disappointed by the development they lamented about their previous certainties." Many people would rather be bound by the rules of Socialism than not being able to succeed in a democratic country. Even today unemployment is significantly lower in the west[1]. And when people are unhappy, they call for a change. While countries with a longer democratic history would tend to vote a non-ruling party, many people in Slovakia support non-democratic regimes.
As mentioned in the article, "The transition to democracy took place without punishing those responsible for crimes against humanity, or even excluding them from public life.” Because of this absence, socialism was by some less and less regarded as something bad they have fought against, but staid nostalgically hanging in the past how life standards were certain (or even obligatory).
Where common senses fail, school should help. Because no human being with education in history and a bit of empathy can support Nazism or Communism. Agreeing with the article "As long as there are teachers who are not clear about these issues ... the number of similar memorials will increase." Furthermore, too few lessons are dedicated to these ideologies.
Although democracy grants the right to freely express your opinion, non-democratic regimes can not be tolerated. As "these memorials stand despite the provisions of the Slovak Criminal Code which bans the promotion of people or movements which lead to suppression of the basic rights and freedoms," the government is clearly idle here. The same government responsible for educating teachers and the school curriculum.
Fortunately, there is also a growing community of democratic activists. They for example organize anti-Nazi parades. Because without fighting against non-democratic ideologies we will newer leave them behind us.
1 - http://dlznik.zoznam.sk/nezamestnanost/slovenska-republika
First of all, in this dilemma I see a major clash between adjusted historical references and real deeds of representatives of totality regimes. Vasil Bilak in the eyes of majority modern people is only another sad chapter in very grey history of our nation, for calling the troops of Warsaw Pact it is undoubtedly one of the greatest promoters of communism in our country. On the other hand we have people of different mentality and lack of critical thinking who put historical events and personalities in a small scale picture according to regional character. As a result this clash creates a huge question mark in the field of justification of expressing opinion in both cases. Vandalism usually is something inacceptable in developed society in term of direct damage of somebody else´s property and thus wasting of his money. Moreover here comes the moral aspect of disrespect and violation of the fundamental human right of self expression. However, in this case, in my opinion this logic can not be implied. Let me explain, imagine that you find yourself in the little town of Braunau am Inn, the birthplace of one of the most controversial figures Adolf Hitler. While you are walking down the street you notice a great memorial dedicated to this person. Strange you would think. Now imagine that you are Jewish nationality. Outrageous, insulting and disrespectful, you would not only think that in this case, you would yell this with tears in your eyes with the memory of painful past. Now, I believe that in cases like this, when there is portrayed a person who by its action harmed and damaged so many people, who demolished all principles of morality and humanity it completely pardonable to express your ferocity by vandalising this piece of monument.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, in the article there is a fair suggestion that “One way to prevent the promotion of totalitarian regimes’ representatives is legislative changes.„ This the best way of supervising and controlling what actually is displayed to people. By controlling this, the government would gain great power in forming mindset of nation in a manner that is appropriate, not insulting and in order with every democratic and modern ideology. Besides, I believe that aesthetics should be minor factor in the process of deciding which historical personality is commemorated. As the article suggest that there should be a committee of historians, in my personal point of view, I believe that there should be also a psychologist present. Mindset of people is the most important aspect in the creation of national consciousness, therefore a psychologist could evaluate the impact of given memorial on society and thus decide whether it brings the required effect.
Last but not least, I have gotten to the point of peoples perception of the history of our country. Despite the educational system partially focusing on national affairs in term of history, I can see a huge vacuum of undefined terms and historical events and people who affected who we are today as a nation. “President of the Nazi-allied Slovak state Jozef Tiso has a memorial plaque situated in Bytča on the house where he was born,...“ I dont particulary believe that the reason of raising this plaque is lack of knowledge or fault in educational system, but I believe that in order to prevent this situations to reappear there is only one possible solution of emphasising the wrong that these people cause to create an overview on them which would result in destroying these memorials over time by the incentive of young people who create the future.