Adolf Kopřiva

“As Czechs we were respected locally. We were honest people, much in demand, including at work we were held in great esteem. These were bold, industrious people and excellent craftsmen. They were placed in the mines in special positions or in positions of responsibility. I know that I myself experienced this.”

“At that time, around the years 1962, 1963 this strange transformation took place in Svatá Helena. They were opening the mines in Moldova Nouă and the newest thing for us was the electricity lines being built here. That’s high voltage 10 kW. It runs from Orșova, where the iron gates are, all the way to Moldova. I remember when that electricity line was being built. There was one team here in Svatá Helena, digging pits and assembling those tall iron pillars, we used to play on them. I remember well they were putting it all together and as my father said: ‘this little squirt is four or five and he’s seen a tractor, he’s seen motorised trucks.’ I remember that was the time we first had Tatra trucks imported, a ten-tonne vehicle, our jaws hit the floor. Because this was amazing to us, when we had the cows out to pasture we’d always run to this small hill, Kohoutek (Cockerel) it was called, from there you could see the road by the Danube where vehicles drove. We gawked at it and were happy to see a car drive past.”