Discover the world of samizdat — secretly written, copied, and shared books and magazines created outside state control. These underground publications helped people spread uncensored ideas when communist authorities restricted free expression. This lesson introduces students to the courage and creativity behind this hidden network of independent voices.
In this lesson you will find:
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Three lesson ideas with 3 exercises exploring:
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how books and newspapers were smuggled across borders but also how a 20-year-old student, Tomáš Konc, risked his freedom to secretly carry religious books across the border — and how he later said: “I didn’t realize the risk. I went into it out of a youthful desire not only for adventure, but also for truth and justice.”
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how censorship worked and what people did to circumvent it,
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how official, foreign, and underground/independent coverage of events differed.
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Webinar recordings: Freedom of Speech Beyond Borders – the power of samizdat, showing how samizdat became a powerful medium of resistance throughout Eastern Europe.
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A PDF with photos and background information about the Candle Manifestation of 1988 — the first mass demonstration since 1969 against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
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A photo gallery with images that can help introduce the topic to your students
This lesson is the result of a collaboration with the Museum of Victims of Communism in Košice, offering insights primarily from a Slovak perspective. However, it can serve as a powerful example and can be easily adapted to the conditions and historical reality of other countries where samizdat was widespread.
