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Rectifier is a neologism for Czech word upravenec (pl. upravenci) which denotes an émigré from Communist Czechoslovakia who "rectified" his or her relationship towards Communist régime.

The Origin

Since 1948 illegal migration from Czechoslovakia was a crime. Between 1945 and 1987 172 659 people went into exile. After Helsinki process Communist establishment wished to show some kind of mitigation so far harsh relationship towards émigrés. A Directive No. 58, on Rectifying Relationships towards Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, 1977 was adopted. Hence a term upravenec.

The Categories

In 1980 there was 115 000 émigrés. The Directive stipulated 4 categories of rectifiers:

1. those who wished to return to Czechoslovakia (452 persons applied),
2. those who wished to stay permanently abroad as citizens of Czechoslovakia (3 145 persons applied),
3. those who wished cessation being citizens of Czechoslovakia (4 533 applied), or
4. those who asked for a pardon of conviction for illegal emmigration (12 486 applied).

All these people (logically except for the first category) were allowed after rectifying visit Communist Czechoslovakia with no obstacles. They had to pay large sum (officially the cost of education) to receive a status of upravenec. The most famous rectifier is Jan Koukal who asked both for a pardon and cessation being citizen of Czechoslovakia.

The Controversy

The unsuspendable condition for rectifying was "good or neutral relationship" towards Communist régime. Upravenci were therefore disliked by the rest of exile community and called collaborationists. Most rectifiers hid their rectifying and speculative accusation of being upravenec was considered as a slur by offended. Josef Škvorecký wrote some satire short stories about them. Hard line émigrés speculated upravenci were confidents of Communist secret police.

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