Čas vrahů - Anatomie zla a naděje 20. století (2026)

The twentieth century was an era of technological progress, cultural flourishing and unprecedented scientific discoveries that carried humanity from the age of steam into the era of space exploration, nuclear energy and global connectivity. During this period, people were largely freed from disease and hunger, yet it was also the century in which the darkest sides of human nature manifested themselves in the most destructive ways. Never before had ideology gained such power over individuals, and never before had millions of people been murdered with such mechanical precision in concentration camps, gulags and battlefields around the world. This paradox—that a century of enlightenment and humanity also brought genocide and mass extermination—remains one of the most painful features of modern history. But history is not merely a collection of dates and facts. It is also made up of the stories of people who lived, made decisions and bore the consequences of their actions. The circumstances of the era led some to heroism, while allowing others to fully reveal their depravity. This Czech-language book attempts an anatomy not only of evil, but also of hope. It seeks to understand those who became instruments of totalitarian crimes as well as those who resisted them. It is not a book about leaders, ideologies or political systems, but about ordinary people—those who closed the doors of gas chambers, signed death sentences and shot prisoners in the back of the head before returning to their families in the evening, as well as those who risked everything to save others, refused merely to watch and remain silent, and managed to preserve their humanity in an inhuman age. Understanding the psychology and motivations of both groups means understanding not only the mechanisms of evil, but also the sources of the quiet courage, empathy and compassion that evil could not extinguish.