Peter Bísek: from Prague to life in New York and then back
Peter Bísek left Czechoslovakia in the 1960s using a clever trick on a travel form. He arrived in Brooklyn with two suitcases, $180, and no plan. In this episode of Czechast, he shares how he turned exile into a mission to connect Czech-Americans through journalism.
In this episode of Czechast, we speak to Peter Bísek, a man whose personal journey mirrors the story of many Cold War exiles. A quiet and principled upbringing in Czechoslovakia gave way to bureaucratic oppression, daring escape, and an uncertain new beginning in New York.
“I grew up in a kind of isolated environment in a positive way,” Peter recalls. “We were and still are active members of the Church of Czech Evangelical Brethren, which has nothing to do with evangelicals in the U.S., and that definitely affected my life quite profoundly.”
Even traveling to East Germany in the 1960s required official permission from the workplace, military, and other authorities. Then, Peter and his wife found a creative way to extend that permission—managing to reach the West, which at the time was almost impossible for ordinary mortals who were not members of the Communist Party:
“After we had all these OKs, my wife took that one-page form, put it back into the same typewriter where she filled out all the questions, and on top of it, where we go, it was East Germany, NDR, and she put in a dash, Sweden.”
The plan worked. They made it to Sweden and eventually to the United States. But their arrival in New York was far from easy.
“Our sponsor went bankrupt. We never met him. We got out of a cargo ship in the docks in Brooklyn. I'm standing there with two suitcases, my wife next to me, $180 in a pocket, and not knowing what to do. I really, I did know what to do.”
Despite this difficult start, Peter went on to publish Americké listy, a Czech-language magazine that became a vital connection for Czechs across the United States. Through decades of publishing, he gave voice to a scattered but resilient community.
His advice to young people today?
“Go out. Not traveling. Traveling is good, but traveling, you are a tourist, unless you stay there for a while, at least half a year, but ideally, go there to study. You find yourself enriched, definitely enriched.”
Listen to the full episode of Czechast to hear more about Peter Bísek’s remarkable story—from escaping behind the Iron Curtain to becoming a pillar of Czech life in America.
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Czechast, Radio Prague International
Czechast is a regular RPI podcast about Czech and Moravian culture, history, and economy.
