Jana Fiedlerová

“They were both arrested. Dad had a flu and although he was ill, he was transported to Náchod to the detention prison, and uncle Karel was arrested straight in his workplace. Then there were five court trials, at first in Náchod, and they were sentenced. Uncle got six years, and dad seven years and each of them was sentenced to paying a penalty of ten thousand crowns, and to the loss of some things – paintings, stamps, books.”

“[As for] the penalties of ten thousand crowns, perhaps I could say that I have remained alone with my mom. Uncle Karel had two daughters. And at the time, when retirement allowances were two hundred or one hundred and eighty crowns, ten thousand crowns was an insanely huge amount of money. But since they were told that if they paid those ten thousand crows, they would be released, then obviously the whole large family and all relatives were helping us and we were eventually able to pay the ten thousand crowns. And to pay it for Karel as well. Sisters, grandmas and grandpas, and everybody was giving the money. But it did not help anyway and they did not release them, so it was all for nothing.”