Gertruda Ješonková

“Confirmation: “The Security Department of the National Committee of the Statutory City of Ostrava raises no objections to the commute to and from work by the means of electric railways from Vítkovice to Moravská Ostrava of Lydia Talagová, employed by Miloslav Konečný’s dressmaking company. She is allowed to remove the marking of German nationality during the commute and during working hours.” So if my mother was allowed to enter the tram she was also allowed to put that “N” label into her pocket. Probably to prevent others from being offended.”

“They beat prisoners in the Mexiko camp as well and an acquaintance of my mother’s had to clean up blood in there. In those rooms they tortured prisoners. It was cruel… I remember only some of the moments myself. I don’t know whether it was in that collection camp in Vítkovice or later in that Mexiko camp. I do remember, though, that it was always dark in there and that we slept on some rags. And my mother would hug me all the time.”

“My mother saved that girl’s life. She would bring her semolina wrapped in newspaper sheets. She was imprisoned in that camp and because she was a dressmaker, she would sew suitcase covers for Russian women. Russian women had lots of suitcases and so my mother sewed covers for them. That’s how she could get some food and she secretly brought semolina to the girl. I remember one particular moment. I don’t know where exactly it was but we were standing in some sort of a queue, there were children too, and soldiers were walking around. I held on to my mother and was not afraid because I knew that my mother protected me. Since I was born I was always with my mother only so she was great support for me.”