Pavel Dostál

Who was Pavel Dostál?

Pavel Dostál was a Minister of Culture in the Czech Republic, known for his dynamic personality and his advocacy of social justice.

Born in Olomouc, North Moravia in 1943, Dostál took an early interest in theatre. In 1966, he put aside his technician trade in order to become the artistic director of the Experimental Theatre in Olomouc. For the next few years, he was active as a theatre producer, and a writer of plays, TV scripts, and magazine columns. During this time, Dostál was member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Disillusionment struck him in August 1968, when the Soviet Army invaded Czechoslovakia. Dostál took part in the underground radio broadcasts at Czechoslovak Radio, which was central to local resistance to the Communist occupation. He did not formally end his Communist Party membership until the following year, in protest against the government placement of pro-Soviet Gustáv Husák.

Due to these activities, he was kept under surveillance by the STB secret police, and allowed only to work at labour and technical jobs for 20 years. Still, he made attempts at protest during this time, and was detained as late as 1989, for the distribution of a petition.