Květa Hamplová

"But the end of the war was great, when I come to think of it. My father was running in the square, he had a loudspeaker, broadcasting in the Small Square what was happening in Prague. We were excited. He came running home saying he wanted to give the Russians a watch. He [a Russian] wanted a watch, he gave him a watch. The Russian was grateful, he gave him a watch too, Dad brought it in, the clockwork was missing, he [my dad] gave him a gold-plated watch. My uncle, my mother's brother, went with the Russian soldiers on a tank to Prague. I remember when the Americans were here in the square, they came from Velichovky. Various memories. When they were chasing the Germans around the square, how they were taking revenge on them: 'Kneel, lie down, get up.' It seemed quite strange to children. On the other hand, when the Hitlerjugend members were walking around the square, we were looking at them from windows, they were throwing banana skins at us, making fun of us. It wasn't nice."

"Several [people], about three of the group were executed. I don't remember exactly, I'd have to look it up somewhere, certainly [it was] Mr. Šverka. Dad always said, 'Learn languages if you can.' He was saved by the fact that as a boy he had spent time with a German family in Germany. He grew up in Rtyně v Podkrkonoší, which is near Trutnov. He could speak German and he spoke it quite well. He denied speaking German [at the interrogation]. 'My advantage was that before they translated the question during the interrogation, I could prepare my answer. And that probably saved my life.'"