50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa, left, (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa, left, (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

50th anniversary of Josef Hlavaty's death, Masaryk Square, piety, candles

The west Bohemian centre Plzen for the first time today, on Saturday, January 20, 2019, honoured the memory of Josef Hlavaty, a local resident who immolated himself on January 20, 1969, four days after student Jan Palach did the same in Prague in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Like Palach, Hlavaty, 25, died of fatal burns a few days after pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire in a square in the centre of Plzen which bears the name of T.G. Masaryk now. Today's commemorative meeting was organised by the Town Hall and Mayor Martin Baxa (Civic Democrats, ODS) laid flowers at the site of the tragedy. Josef Hlavaty has a controversial life story and he was a man of different kind than Palach, but key testimonies from January 20, 1969 authorise us to consider him one of those who expressed disagreement with the [Soviet] occupation, Baxa said. The communist regime then succeeded in erasing Hlavaty's act from people's awareness, as a result of which he practically disappeared from history for 50 years, Baxa said, adding that the town of Plzen will be remembering Hlavaty's act annually from now on. (CTK Photo/Miroslav Chaloupka)