Accusations against Milan Kundera

Looks like world-famous Czech author (now a French citizen) Milan Kundera may be in a spot of trouble.

According to news which appeared in The Editors Weblog yesterday, posted by Lauren Drablier, documents going back 50 years or so have been discovered in the Communist archives in Czechoslovakia implying Milan Kundera’s involvement in denouncing a fellow student in Prague (under the Communist regime).

This post has been reproduced entirely from The Editors Weblog story posted by Lauren Drablier on 20 October 2008:

The Editors Weblog interviewed Martin M Simecka, the author of an article that appeared in Czech magazine, Respekt on October 13, 2008.

The article claims that an authentic police report, over 50 years old, has resurfaced from the Communist security agency’s archive. The report implicates Czech author Milan Kundera. Kundera is accused of denouncing Miroslav Dvoracek, who was a university student in Prague. The denunciation led to his imprisonment for over 14 years.

Part of the document reads:

“Today at around 1600 hours a student, Milan Kundera, born 1.4.1929 in Brno, resident at the student hall of residence on George VI Avenue in Prague VII, presented himself at this department and reported that a student, Iva Militká, resident at that residence, had told a student by the name of Dlask, also of that residence, that she had met a certain acquaintance of hers, Miroslav Dvoracek, at Klárov in Prague the same day. The said Dvoracek apparently left 1 case in her care, saying he would come to fetch it in the afternoon. (...) Dvoracek had apparently deserted from military service and since the spring of the previous year had possibly been in Germany, where he had gone illegally.”

Editors Weblog asked Mr Simecka a few questions about how Respekt has handled the issue from a journalistic and editorial point of view:

EW: How did you determine the authenticity of the police report? Is this the only document you have?

MS: The experts from the Military History Institute confirmed the authenticity of the document. We also interviewed Ms Militka for the story. Other newspapers have interviewed her as well.

EW: How and why did you decide to publish the document? Did you have any doubts or hesitations before you published the article? Did Milan Kundera answer you when you contacted him before publication?

MS: Adam Hradilek, the historian who found the original document, tried to contact Milan Kundera by fax on September 11, 2008 (one month before the article was published), however, Kundera did not respond. We also know that he had received the fax. Of course we had some long debates about publishing the article, but we have no doubts about the version we have published.

EW: How was the article written and presented in the Czech Republic? As purely factual or as accusatory?

MS: Our article did not accuse Mr. Kundera, we simply were following the facts.

EW: Kundera has denounced the document and article as ‘pure lies’, how do you plan on approaching the situation now? What will be the magazine's response?

MS: In the Czech Republic it is a very heated debate, and sometimes very irrational. We have asked Czech writers, such as Vaclav Havel, to write short essays about the case.

EW: In hindsight, because Kundera has denounced the accusations, do you feel that you should have taken more precautions before publishing the article? Or are you confident that it will hold up?

MS: Our biggest problem was how to talk to Mr Kundera – we knew very well that he has not communicated with the media for over 25 years. On the other hand, until now Mr Kundera has not said anything else about the case – other than claiming that it is a lie. There are many questions that need to be answered, but Mr Kundera is not communicating to the media.

EW: You are comparing Kundera to Günter Grass. Does this mean that you are expecting Kundera to admit?

MS: Originally, I hoped for it but now I do not expect that Kundera will admit.

EW: Where do you see this debate going? Will it continue to grow?

MS: Yes, especially in the Czech Republic, the debate is going to be huge. I am afraid the result may be that politicians will close the Military History Institute.

EW: What does it change if Kundera is guilty or not? Who will be affected the most?

MS: This case could open the debate of the past, but it seems that it can also close it for years and years. That would be the saddest story.

EW: What do you expect from Vaclav Havel?

MS: Vaclav Havel has written for us – more or less defending Mr Kundera.

EW: Do you think other cases of velvet revolution heroes will appear? Have you opened Pandora’s box?

MS: Some other cases may come up, but I do not think they will ever be as big as this one.

[Citation: Covering the accusations against Milan Kundera, on The Editor’s Weblog, posted by Lauren Drablier on 20 October 2008.]