Gottwald

Dagmar Šimková (1929-1995)

Dagmar Šimková was a political prisoner during the communist repression. She suffered a long prison sentence and was able to pursue her education and help others in the prison system later in life. Šimková’s ordeals during her time as a political prisoner were shaped both by her femininity turned against her and her bonds with fellow prisoners that kept them together. Her most courageous acts involved hunger strikes in protest against the treatment of her fellow prisoners.

Edvard Beneš (28 May 1884 - 3 September 1948)

Edvard Beneš (28 May 1884 - 3 September 1948)

Edvard Beneš was born in Kozlany, Bohemia during the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s rule, but by October 14, 1918, he lived in a different nation, as the empire collapsed in place of the then-new Czechoslovakia. He served as the council chairman for the League of Nations to support the balance of powers in Eastern Europe, creating the “Little Entente.” Eventually, Beneš would succeed Masaryk as the Czechoslovakian president, faced with the threat of Germany, and the rest is history.