The University of Economics in Prague

In 1966-68, Jan Palach studied at the University of Economics in Prague (VŠE). He attended his lectures and seminars in Žižkov campus located at Gustav Kliment Square (today’s Winston Churchill Square). The university’s functionalist building was completed in 1935 and originally, it was a practical secondary school for apprentice training. When the VŠE was founded in 1953, the building was given to its disposal and the university has been using it up to the present time.

At the beginning of January 1969, Jan Palach wrote a letter to Lubomír Holeček (1946-1976), student representative, suggesting they should occupy the building of Czechoslovak Radio in Vinohradská Street and broadcast an appeal for general strike. VŠE students from nearby Žižkov campus were supposed to play a key role in his plan.

The Žižkov square, where the main VŠE building is situated, was established together with the functionalist building of Všeobecný pensijní ústav (General Pension Institute) and from 1935 it was therefore named U Pensijního ústavu (At Pension Institute). The square was renamed in 1955 after Gustav Kliment (1889-1953), Communist politician and post-February Minister of Industry. In 1977-1990 it was named after Antonín Zápotocký (1884-1957) whose statue was placed in the square centre. The statue was removed after 1989 and the square was named after British PM Winston Churchill (1874-1965).