Content note: Mock death notice using insulting epithets for a political party and naming two former party officials and 'StB staff' as mourners; no violence shown. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Mock death notice for 'the totalitarian power of one political party', 1990
A photocopied black-bordered death notice headed by a red-star silhouette and a laurel sprig, announcing the death of 'the totalitarian power of one political party', born in the 'political putsch' of 25 February 1948 and dead since 17 November 1989, to be 'symbolically buried' in polling stations on 8 and 9 June. Named mourners are the former party secretaries Miloš Jakeš and Miroslav Štěpán, 'Stalinist-Brezhnevite orphans, StB staff' and 'blinkered Stalinists'. The tell is epithets inside a funeral form.
- Date
- 1990
- Period
- Cold War
- Made by
- Unsigned black-and-white A4 sheet, Czech lands, from the Civic Forum period (issuer not printed)
- Country
- Czechoslovakia
- Medium
- Leaflet
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Leader
- Marian Calfa
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Techniques
- Name-calling
- Source
- Unidentified Source blurred: contractors, cutouts, buried disclosure
- Source
- National Museum, Prague (Virtual Museum) and Europeana 1989, image via fbc.pionier.net.pl, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- CC BY 4.0 (National Museum, Prague, record 3951470); public-domain mark on Europeana 1989
National Museum, Prague, Virtual Museum record 3951470 (OLM055), CC BY 4.0; the same object is marked public domain in the Europeana 1989 contributor record (Olomouc). Anonymous 1989-90 sheet.
Text on the object
[five-pointed star] [laurel sprig] Kdo jinému jámu kopá, sám do ní padá! S hlubokým pocitem štěstí, spokojenosti a blaha oznamujeme všem pronásledovaným, poškozeným, utlačovaným, ponižovaným a okrádaným přátelům a známým, že nás navždy opustila 42 let nenáviděná a téměř celou společností proklínaná TOTALITNÍ MOC jedné politické strany která se zrodila 25. února 1948 — — politickým pučem KSČ v Praze. K jejímu náhlému skonu došlo 17. 11. 1989 v Praze za účasti spontánního manifestačního vystoupení mládeže vysokoškolské, středoškolské a pracující, jakož i ostatní veřejnosti. K jejímu symbolickému pohřbení dojde 8. a 9. ČERVNA ve volebních místnostech celé republiky Za truchlící příbuzenstvo: býv. gen. taj. ÚV KSČ Miloš Jakeš býv. gen. taj. hl. m. Prahy Miroslav Štěpán stalinsko-brežněvovští sirotci — pracovníci StB rodina dodnes zaslepených a zabedněných stalinistů
[five-pointed star] [laurel sprig] Whoever digs a pit for another falls into it himself! With a deep feeling of happiness, contentment and well-being we announce to all persecuted, harmed, oppressed, humiliated and robbed friends and acquaintances that we have been left for ever by the 42-years hated and almost by the whole of society cursed TOTALITARIAN POWER of one political party which was born on 25 February 1948 — — in the political putsch of the KSČ in Prague. Its sudden death occurred on 17 November 1989 in Prague with the participation of a spontaneous demonstration of university, secondary-school and working youth, as well as the rest of the public. Its symbolic burial will take place on 8 and 9 JUNE in polling stations throughout the republic For the grieving relatives: former gen. sec. of the KSČ Central Committee Miloš Jakeš former gen. sec. of the capital city Prague Miroslav Štěpán Stalinist-Brezhnevite orphans — StB employees family of the still blinkered and boarded-up Stalinists
Read from the 1000 px image and enlarged crops; the photocopied typewriter-style type is clear. The printing drops some diacritics (for example 'KSC', 'Milos Jakes' in places); the text above supplies them as the sense requires, and the base letters are as printed. The translation is literal and Claude's own.
