Dad always stood up for what he believed in, and that made a lot of people angry
Jiří Olšaník was born on 22 May 1953 in Tábor. His mother Marie, née Pilíková, was a homemaker, while his father Josef was a painter by trade. His sister Jana was born in 1947. The family’s fate was guided by the fact that that Josef Olšaník had fought on the western front during the Second World War. Alongside his allies in the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armored Brigade he fought in the siege on the Nazi-occupied fortress of Dunkirk from fall 1944 to May 1945. After Germany’s capitulation, Josef returned home. His homeland welcomed him after his liberation with open arms and honors, but already by 1954 the communists had prosecuted him for sedition, he was sentenced, demoted, and dishonored to the end of his days. For Jiří, his father was a role model, even though he would have problems in the unfree Czechoslovakia on his account. He was limited to studying a trade, underwent a lot of pressure during his military service, during which he was convinced to join the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and he was not allowed to travel freely. His entire family was tracked by the StB, which threatened to force them out of their apartment. In 1977, Jiří Olšaník got married and moved to Komárov u Napajedel. Here, following the November revolution of 1989, he contributed to the founding of the Civic Forum. He made a living repairing electronic appliances. He was a lifetime lover of sports – he rowed, skied, and cycled. In 2020, he trained as a skater and took part in international competitions.