Václav Havel and Jan Tříska appeared in Liberec by chance. They were visiting friends and were caught in the night by news of the arrival of Russian troops into the country. In Liberec events took a dramatic turn when nine people died in the square on the very first day of the occupation.

Havel and Tříska first became involved in the anti-corruption broadcasts of Radio Liberec. After the programm was forcibly terminated, they moved here to Ještěd, where a group of people set up a free broadcasting station, Studio Sever, under a unfinished hotel and transmitter building.

Studio ceased its activities when it became clear that the nation's resistance to Soviet troops would be futile and the government called on the people to stop fighting. Soviet troops eventually remained in our country until 1991, a full 23 years. Let's take care of our freedom and democracy, it is not for free.