Ivan Medek
Ivan Medek ( born July 13, 1925 in Prague, † January 6, 2010 ) was a Czech musicologist, music critic, radio presenter and journalist. Medek was one of the most vocal members of the Czechoslovak dissident movement, especially after being deported from the communist Czechoslovakia in 1978. Medek worked closely with like-minded colleagues as the writer Václav Havel Václav Talich and the conductors together. He belonged to the Czech Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Czech Philharmonic.
Life
He is the son of the officer Rudolf Medek and grandson of the Czech painter Antonín Slavíček ( 1870-1910 ). Ivan grew up in Prague's Karlin neighborhood, where he attended elementary school.
He then attended the Academic Gymnasium Prague (four years) and the Prague Conservatory, but he had to leave after the February coup in 1948. In the 1950s, he had to serve a three -month prison sentence to which he had been convicted of participating in the alleged racketeering money after he could not be recruited by the secret service StB.
After receiving a musical education, he began his career as a journalist and critic for classical music. He worked for the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra until he was fired because of his oppositional stance by the Communist Ministry of Culture. In 1969 he received the ban to be active in public.
Medek was among the first signatories of Charter 77 In January 1977 then received an immediate termination from the music publisher Supraphon. He then worked as a nurse in a Prague hospital (Na Františku ), after a further release (again, for political reasons ) as a dishwasher and dresser in the restaurant Pod Kinskou.
After a series of interrogations and an attack on his person by the State Security ( StB ), he was forced to the beginning of 1978 to take exile in Austria.
In Vienna, he was a correspondent for the Voice of America, where he hosted the Czech -speaking program. These radio broadcasts were an important link with the remaining in the CSSR peers. He also worked for Radio Free Europe and other broadcasters such as the BBC, German wave, Vatican Radio. Through his diverse personal relationships in Vienna Medek helped the Czechoslovak dissident movement to its reputation in Western Europe.
During the Velvet Revolution in the late autumn of 1989 Medek returned from exile back to Prague. Medek was advisor to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Advisor to the Czechoslovak Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Federal Radio and Television Council.
From 1993 to 1998 Ivan Medek worked in the Office of the President of the first president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, first as Head of Domestic Policy, from 1996 as Chancellor.
1999 Medek candidate for the Czech Senate, but was defeated in the constituency Prague against the tourism business Václav Fischer.
Since that time, Medek engaged in the Catholic lay organization Opus bonum and in 1999, after the death of the founder Anastaz Opasek its president.
Ivan Medek died in Prague on January 6, 2010 at the age of 84 years. He is survived by his wife, Helena.
Honors
Medek was honored with the Masaryk Order 3rd class since 1991. In 1999, he received the Medal of Merit ( medaile Za zásluhy ). 2008 Medek was awarded the prestigious prize for Czech journalists "Cena Ferdinanda Peroutky " ( Ferdinand Peroutka price).
Works
- Děkuji, mám se výborně, Torst 2005 ( Thanks, I'm feeling good)
- Jak to Vidim, Vyšehrad 2003 ( As I see it )