Jiří Hájek

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Professor
Jiří Hájek
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia
In office
8 April 1968 – 19 September 1968
Preceded byVáclav David
Succeeded byOldřich Černík (acting)
Personal details
Born(1913-05-06)6 May 1913
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Died22 October 1993(1993-10-22) (aged 80)
Prague, Czech Republic
Political partyCommunist Party of Czechoslovakia
ProfessionLawyer, diplomat, political scientist
AwardsCharles University

Jiří Hájek (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjɪr̝iː ˈɦaːjɛk]; 6 June 1913 in Krhanice near Benešov – 22 October 1993 in Prague) was a Czech politician and diplomat. Together with Václav Havel, Zdeněk Mlynář, and Pavel Kohout, Hájek was one of the founding members and architects of Charter 77.

Early political career

Hájek studied and worked as a lawyer in the

University of Economics
.

Diplomacy

From 1955 Hájek worked in diplomacy: in 1955–1958 as an ambassador in Britain, in 1958–1962 as a deputy of the minister of foreign affairs, and in 1962–1965 he represented Czechoslovakia in United Nations. Between 1965 and 1968 he was the minister of education. From April to September 1968, he served as the minister of foreign affairs in Dubček's government. After the Soviet Union army took control over Czechoslovakia (21 August 1968) he protested against this in a speech at the United Nations (where he used the word occupation) – this caused his dismissal from high offices and even from the communist party (1970).

Charter 77

Until 1973 Hájek worked in the Historical Institute of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.

Together with Václav Havel, Zdeněk Mlynář, and Pavel Kohout, Hájek was one of the founding members and architects of Charter 77.

Jiří Hájek emerged as one of three leading spokesmen of Charter 77, thus becoming the target of police interrogations and threats. He was a strong defender of this uncompromising document, which voiced the principles of universal

Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize
.

After the fall of socialism in Czechoslovakia (1989) Hájek served as an advisor of Alexander Dubček (1990–1992) but was unable to obtain significant political influence.

Death

He died of an unspecified cancer on 22 October 1993.[1]

External links

References

  1. ^ Pace, Eric (25 October 1993). "Jiri Hajek, 80, Dies; Human Rights Aide And Czech Official". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
Government offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia
April 1968 – September 1968
Succeeded by