Jaroslav Noháček, a peasant and witness of the Babice events: life between farm, prison and the legacy of the past
Stáhnout obrázek
Jaroslav Noháček, born in 1953, farmed all his life near the Plicht farm in Šepkovice, where he carried on the labour and traditions of the local families, severely marked by collectivisation and post-war persecution. Fate connected him both with the witnesses and victims of the Babice trials - he himself was related to the family of Mr. Pánek, a political prisoner - and with the direct experience of the repression of the regime: he was imprisoned for several months and shared a cell with the future president Václav Havel. His life was greatly influenced by the experience of the destruction of the farm after the displacement of his family, the gradual repairs and rebuilding of the farm in free conditions, as well as meeting other witnesses of the dramatic events of the 20th century, especially around Babice. To this day, he continues the family tradition of farming, taking care of the restoration of the farm, despite the pain and disappointment that the past of the village and the system brought with it.
