qualified speakers—began to be featured. Hundreds attended. The first talk, on the theme “Freedom in the New World,” was given on November 11, 1945, in the hall of Prague’s Agricultural Stock Market. The audience of some 600 showed much enthusiasm. In the course of three years, 1,885 of such public talks were given in Czechoslovakia. Many who are now Jehovah’s Witnesses say that they were drawn to the truth as a result of those talks.

One such person is Tibor Tomašovský, who now resides in Bohemia. A Witness who was engaging in his secular work met Tibor and, in the course of conversation, mentioned the Bible. Tibor was impressed by his modesty and invited the Witness to his home. This led to an invitation to a meeting. Tibor later said: “What my wife and I experienced at that meeting was indescribable. Never had I heard such an outstanding talk. Three different speakers took turns giving the talk. ‘These must be highly educated people,’ I told the person sitting next to me. ‘No, they’re just farmers.’ What we heard was so wonderful that we didn’t want to return home. The following week in the office, I couldn’t concentrate on my work and I couldn’t wait for Sunday. We never missed a meeting.”

[Picture on page 173]

Many gathered for public talks after World War II