Date, place and time of the funeral were supposed to be kept secret. The family’s wish to say the last goodbye in the Strasnice ceremonial hall wasn’t fulfilled. Instead of that it was ordered to hold the ceremony in Motol and on top of that it had to be in the evening at 5 p.m.
The news about the funeral was spreading through Prague by word of mouth and many people were trying to make it to Motol. Many of them couldn’t make it as police diverted traffic and trams from 4 p.m. In spite of that, at least 1500 arrived to the crematorium. It was a rainy day, was already getting dark and every newcomer had to walk through the line of police and state policemen. Pictures were taken and the event was also filmed by cameras and a water cannon was prepared nearby “just in case”.
Because there wasn’t much room inside, most of people stood in an adjacent park. Officialdom made it impossible for Frantisek Kriegl to have a speech and mourning music that was chosen by Dr Zdenka Nedvedova – Nejedla was forbidden as well.
Because A.Dubcek, who at that time worked in the forest administration Krasnany, couldn’t from the above stated reasons make it to the ceremony, he sent a telegram to the family and to Smrkovky’s wife he sent a long letter. This letter was several weeks later published in Italian paper „Giorni – Vie Nuove“ and extracts were later published also in „Le Monde“and „New York Herald Tribune“.
Source: Top secret