On November 13, 2025, as part of Science and Technology Week, the Faculty of Public Administration, Department of Economics and Public Administration, organized a lecture and discussion on the topic of “Totalitarianism and Sport.” From Collective Heroism to Treason: The Trial of the Anti-State Group Modrý et al. The event was organized to mark the 36th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.
The speakers, Martin Klimza, MLitt, and Pavol Hric, director of the Museum of the Victims of Communism in Košice, accepted the invitation. The event was moderated by Ing. Lenka Pčolinská, PhD., from the Department of Economics and Public Administration.
During the lecture, students learned how the totalitarian regime influenced various areas of civic life in Czechoslovakia and interfered with individuals’ privacy. The lecture focused on the 1950 trial of Czechoslovak hockey players and the manipulation of the national sports team under the totalitarian regime. This case illustrates how the regime used sports to build national identity while simultaneously eliminating those who deviated from its notions of loyalty. Through fabricated trials and imprisonment, it destroyed the lives, careers, and health of many.
In the concluding discussion, the speakers answered students’ thought-provoking questions with relevance to the present day. They highlighted the importance of defending values such as freedom, democracy, truth, and justice, as well as the importance of courage in upholding them even today. They also emphasized the need for education and historical awareness, particularly among the younger generation, to ensure that this history is not repeated.
Representatives of the Museum of the Victims of Communism, together with members of the Department of Economics and Public Administration—Department Head Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ladislav Suhányi, PhD, and Ing. Lenka Pčolinská, PhD—also met for a brief discussion with the Dean, Assoc. Prof. JUDr. Mgr. Michal Jesenko, PhD. They discussed current challenges in society and the research-based documentation of history at the Museum of the Victims of Communism in Košice, which is the only museum of its kind in Slovakia.
Thank you for your active participation and the stimulating discussion.
