The Three Laborious Years, or Jiří Lederer’ Stay in Exile (1980–1983)

Expelled in 1980 from his homeland, Czechoslovakia, the Czech journalist, former communist, one of the champions of the Prague Spring and signatory to Charter 77, Jiří Lederer (born in 1922, died 1983) tried abroad to continue his professional activity as a writer. It was not easy after three years in hard prison (1977–1980). He and his Polish wife and daughter were granted political asylum in Germany. There he wrote articles for Czech and Polish émigré journals. He renewed his contacts with the Czechoslovak section of Radio Free Europe and published some books on Czech and Polish history (some of them appeared after his death). On RFE radio air waves, he presented his memoirs to the Czechoslovak audience. Also, he wrote numerous comments on the political situation in Central Europe in the decline period of détente politics toward the Soviet Union. In his opinion, the politics of the West towards the communist countries failed. In exile, he participated in the works of the Opus Bonum Society (a Catholic organization founded in Germany by Czech priests), held meetings with the “Svědectví” founder and his friend, Pavel Tigrid, and was in close contact with “Kultura” editor-in-chief Jerzy Giedroyc.