Life has taught me to value land and work with honesty
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Jan Klenotič was born on May 2, 1937, in the village of Tichý Potok in eastern Slovakia. The family was of Greek Catholic religion. They spoke Rusyn at home. The witness’ father, Jan Klenotič, took part in the fight against the Nazis during the war. He supposedly lived in the Soviet Union and joined the partisans after his return. In 1946, the family moved to Skřivánkov, a settlement of the town Zlaté Hory (formerly Cukmantl), as part of the resettlement of the borderlands. For some time, they lived together with the original German house owners. After their withdrawal, they took care of a small farm. His father never joined the Communist Party, and during collectivisation, the family continued to farm privately. Jan spent his childhood working and taking care of his three younger siblings. He couldn’t study. The military service of the witness during the years 1956-1958 was affected by the anti-communist uprising in Hungary and the increased alertness of the units. In 1958, the Czechoslovak-Polish border was adjusted, and Skřivánkov became part of Poland. The parents returned to Slovakia, and thus Jan Klenotič lost his home for the second time. By that time, he was already married, and with his wife Helena (née Trnková) and their youngest son, they moved to Sobotín near Šumperk after a while. With time, they had two more sons. The witness worked in the local JZD (communal agricultural cooperative) and devoted himself to agriculture all his life. In 2022 he lived in Sobotín.
