The Trnava Self-governing Region (TTSK) presented the Anton Srholec Freedom Award for the sixth time. The award for extraordinary contribution to the protection of human rights, consolidation of democracy and the rule of law and for displays of extraordinary civic bravery was received by Gyula Hodossy, Blažej Baláž and the civil association Post Bellum. Václav Havel was awarded in memoriam. Presentation of the prize To Timothy Garton Ash will take place during the Central European Forum on Saturday, November 16. The gala evening was held on Friday early evening in the Ján Palárik Theater in Trnava. It was also carried in the sign 35th anniversary of the Gentle Revolution.
“The laureates of the Anton Srholec Freedom Prize have shown us with their lives and work and are still showing us how it is important to always stand on the side of truth and justice. They are for us inspiration and at the same time a reminder, to protect the values that they are human rights, democracy and freedom,” the chairman of the TTSK, Jozef Viskupič, explained. He considers the award to be a form of recognition and thanks to brave personalities and inspiring people.
The prize in memoriam for Václav Havel was accepted by his wife Dagmar Havlová in Prague, while her acceptance speech was screened during the gala evening. Havel was a Czech writer and playwright, one of the first speakers of Charter 77 and a leading figure political changes in November 1989. He was the ninth and last president of Czechoslovakia a the first president of the Czech Republic.
He was awarded poet, literary critic and theorist, literary and cultural organizer Gyula Hodossy. After 1989, he participated in the founding several organizations, foundations and magazines. He is the director of the Katedra Foundation, the founder of the Lilium Aurum book publishing house and the chairman of the Vámbéry Civic Association.
He also received the award academic painter, graphic artist and university teacher Blažej Baláž. Works in the area political, environmental, activist and neo-conceptual art. His work includes media images, works on paper, performances, events, drawings, objects, mail art and graphics. A significant contribution was made by Fr creation and profiling of the Ján Koniark Gallery in Trnava.
It was also awarded civil association Post Bellum, which is managed by Sandra Polovková. “Since 2011 Post Bellum collects, documents memories and testimonies of memorials, who stood up to evil during the second world war and socialism. Since 2015, it has been implementing unique full-day programs in Slovak schools educational experiential workshops based on the method of drama education. In cooperation with Post Bellum ČR, they have collected more than 15,000 stories,” said the TTSK communication department.
Timothy Garton Ash is a British historian and columnist. He is a professor of European studies at Oxford University. In his works, he deals primarily with the modern and contemporary history of Central and Eastern Europe. His themes also include A gentle revolution or transformation of the countries of the former Eastern bloc.
The Freedom Award bears the name of the priest Anton Srholec, a native of Skalice. For attempting to cross the Morava River, he spent several months in pre-trial detention in Leopoldov, later he was forced to work in uranium mines. After the Gentle Revolution he helped homeless people. He became his attitude to life a symbol of faith in man and the fight for religious and political rights and freedoms.
