Anton Srholec

Anton Srholec (12 June 1929, Skalica – 7 January 2016, Bratislava[1][2]) was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest and Salesian.

As it was not possible for him to study theology at that time, on 9 April 1951 attempted (as many other young people led by a Salesian priest Titus Zeman) to cross the borders illegally so he could fulfill his goal abroad.

As a 22-year old he was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison together with a group of about 20 similarly charged students of theology and priests for the crime of attempted unauthorised crossing of the national borders.

The book was later translated and published in Slovenian, German and English language with the title Light From the Depths of Jachymov Concentration Camps).

He was released from prison on 9 May 1960 and found employment as a labourer at construction sites, at the factory for prefabricated parts and later at furnaces at Ostrava steel plant.

The State Security constantly watched his work with the youth and as a result in 1974 he was transferred outside Bratislava to the parish of Pernek where he kept being visited by many people and also secret Salesians.