Jan Opletal

Who was Jan Opletal?

Jan Opletal was a student of the Medical Faculty of the Charles University in Prague, who was killed in an anti-Nazi demonstration during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.

On October 28, 1939 there were anti-Nazi demonstrations and riots in Prague, which were suppressed by Nazi forces. Jan Opletal was seriously wounded by a shot to his stomach, and later died on November 11. His funeral on November 15, attended by several thousands of students, turned into another anti-Nazi demonstration. As a result, the Reichsprotektor Konstantin von Neurath closed all Czech universities and colleges, sent over 1200 students to concentration camps, and had nine students executed.

Opletal's remains were transferred into his native village of Náklo in the Olomouc Region, where there is also a monument to him. Many Czech cities have streets named after him.

To commemorate these events, November 17 is marked as International Students Day by the International Union of Students and other groups.