Terje B. Englund – The Spy Who Arrived Late: The Czechoslovak Intelligence Service in Norway
- Where: Václav Havel Library, Ostrovní 13, Prague 110 00
- When: January 14, 2019, 19:00 – 21:00
The Norwegian Bohemist and journalist Terje B. Englund is interested in Central and Eastern Europe and in particular the Czech Republic, where he has been living for 25 years. This is borne out by his newspaper articles and books, including his latest title, which explores in detail Czechoslovak espionage relating to Norway from the Communist takeover of 1948 until the fall of communism in 1989, placing it in the broader context of Norwegian-Czech relations and events in Europe. He draws on archival materials and eye-witnesses account to flesh out specific human stories. The book features such figures as Milada Horáková, Karel Kryl, writer Egon Hostovský and General František Moravec, who from London sent Kubiš and Gabčík to assassinate Heydrich.
Alongside this are descriptions of very cunning spying techniques in which one side loses sight of the fact the other can be just as clever, or even one step ahead… Few would expect so much espionage activity between Communist Czechoslovakia and Norway. And few would expect either that virtually 30 years after the Velvet Revolution we still don’t know all we should about the work of the StB. This makes Terje B. Englund a “spy” who most certainly hasn’t arrived late.
Taking part in a debate with the author will be historian Petr Blažek of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, Radek Schovánek, a researcher focused on the history of the Communist regime, and translator Zuzana Hlavičková. Denisa Novotná will moderate.
Organised by the Václav Havel Library in cooperation with the Prostor publishing house and the Scandinavian House.