My father said to me: “Of course, go”
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Helena Johnson was born on February 3, 1948 in Pilsen as Helena Slavíková. She describes her childhood as idyllic, despite the fact that her grandfather lost his property in February 1948 and the anti-communist family did not live freely. The father especially took the situation in the country hard and supported his daughter in the study of foreign languages, as if he had an inkling that one day they would really come in handy. After primary school she went to a gymnasium, thanks to her interest she gradually learned German, English, Latin and, of course, Russian. She had several friends abroad with whom she corresponded regularly and thanks to whom she peeked outside of Czechoslovakia. She could not study medicine, so she at least chose to study pedagogy. During the reform in the spring of 1968, she randomly met Western tourists to whom she gave directions. This led to an interrogation at the StB. This innocent event was one of the last straws when the occupation came and Helena Johnson was deciding whether to stay in an unfree country. Because she had the support of her parents, she emigrated seven days after the occupation. First, she found support in relatives in Vienna and later, thanks to her pen pals, she settled in England. There she met her future husband, together they raised three children. She worked in various professions, as a nurse, anatomy teacher or interpreter. Her mother came to see her in the 1980s and stayed with her until her death. In 2023, Helena Johnson lived in England.
