Charta 77 - Activism for Democracy

Not so long ago, Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain. Hundreds of thousands of people in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia dreamed of breaking through it to start a new life in the Free World. Yet, a handful of dissidents chose to resist at home, striving to live freely despite the ruling regime. They received moral, material, and financial aid from beyond the Western border—support that was transported and organized by dedicated enthusiasts and volunteers, surprisingly, from Scandinavia. Why did they do it? What risks did they take? And how did they contribute to the fall of the dictatorship in 1989?

History is shaped by people—ordinary, yet extraordinary individuals. Their life stories are being preserved by documentarians for the Memory of Nations collection—not only to ensure they are remembered and honored but also to ask how their legacy can inspire us today.
Welcome to this pop-up exhibition showcasing eight remarkable individuals from Norway and Sweden who supported Charter 77 and the Czech democratic movement during Communist rule.