Růžena Carpeza Ptáčková

“... you understand - we had to be very careful. And one time, on a Wednesday: ‘Raus, schnell! Schnell!’ Ein Chaos in the street. And [our - ed.] caretaker, Mr Kratina, asked: ‘What’s going on, eh, people?’ I was still in my nightie with my curlers on, and they came and bashed on the door, but they didn’t know I was staying with a Czech girl who’d married a German. Those were called traitors, who’d joined the Gestapo, mainly her husband. Some people joined them out of poverty, true, like one man from Černovice here, Mr Vínický, he was out of a job, so he joined them out of opportunism. Oh, there were many opportunists! And [my friend - ed.] explained the situation, that we’re decent girls, and he [the Gestapo officer - ed.] wanted to see our work books. And that we have to come pick them up at two o’clock in Goat’s Place in Prague, there was a big hall there, where they gathered up, well, and we came there - Cilka and I - they told us we’re assigned to labour in Germany.”

“And then the musicians came, and people had bunches of birch branches because there weren’t enough flowers, and everyone welcomed the liberated Frenchmen, some even wanted to kiss them, and music played to greet them - it gave my goose bumps! Drinks were brought for refreshment, to welcome them in France, you know.”