Vzpomínky podbrdského rodáka – Fryš Václav (2015)

The autobiographical narrative of Václav Fryš may be interesting to today's readers in several respects. The simple memories of a native from Hvozdce in the Komárov region are, to quote the great Czech-Slovak philosopher and political scientist Milan Šimečka, a typical example that 'small histories,' an otherwise unremarkable life story of a technical worker from Buzuluk Komárov, always intersect at certain points with 'great histories.' And it is precisely in these intersections that we can, as if with the help of a magnifying glass, better understand the history of the region, our state, and Europe in the last century. Another noteworthy aspect is Fryš's own life story. Fate put him through total mobilization and the anti-Banderov movement during the cap rebellion, and later he arrived at the seemingly quiet routine of everyday work in a factory. In retirement, he witnessed changes in the political landscape and was able to visit places in Germany where he spent part of his youth. The patriots of Podbrdy will surely be interested in a whole range of experiences from Hvozdce, Komárov, Hořovice, and Beroun, supplemented by numerous period photographs. As mentioned, it is an altogether ordinary story of a human life, interestingly illuminated by the author's idiosyncratic life and political views and his unyielding, instinctive effort to remain equal...