Today is student Day: the history of the holiday

The origins of this day is quite tragic and has its origins back in 1939

Today is international student Day. The holiday was established November 17, 1946 at the world Congress of students, held in Prague in memory of Czech students-patriots.

Students around the world will today celebrate this holiday, but the origins of this day is quite tragic.

In November 1939, in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, students and their teachers staged a demonstration to mark the anniversary of the founding of the Czechoslovak state.

But the demonstration quickly dispersed, and during a crackdown, was killed by a student of medical faculty Jan Opletal. Later, his funeral also turned into a protest by several dozen demonstrators were arrested.

Later, November 17, early in the morning, the Germans surrounded the student dormitories, resulting in more than 1200 students were arrested and imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

In addition, nine students and activists of the student movement was executed without trial in prison.

Three years later, in 1942, held an international meeting of students who fought against Nazism. At the meeting it was decided to establish international students ' Day in honor of the dead.