Justina Koutníková

“There were often dancing and music, every Sunday. Nowadays there is nothing at all for half a year. There came spring, summer, and entertainment took place outside in front of school, we always put a fence there and began dancing. And as I already said, the grown-up men were walking around the village singing, it was a jolly time. As it got dark I already knew, that in a moment we will hear them singing. And when they started and marched all the streets up and down singing everywhere. (...) We celebrated Christmas and Easter a lot. And there were various games. I remember the girls dressing up and taking the little death puppet carrying it out behind the village and burning it down. That was a tradition before Easter.”

“On 1st September, 1942 I went home late. It was not the same as today, so that mum would not have to go anywhere and cared and then grabbed a child by hand and took it to school. Well no, we had to go to the field in the morning. And especially the older children, and I was the middle one, had a younger sister and an older one too, she was already in the field and I had to take care of my younger sister. So we worked in the field in the morning and suddenly mum looked around and said: oh, the sun is so high. And said to my father: ‚Come on, we had to go, the girl has to go to school.‘ So my father started loading everything up the carriage and prepared the horses, all the tools and my little sister, and off we were. But we were half-way between Rastovec and Ivanovo Selo, and suddenly the bells rang midday. Mum cried: ‚Our girl will be late today!‘ But my dad began to ride the horses fast and shortly we were back home. Mum made the water ready, washed me properly, prepared the clothes already early in the morning and combed my hair quickly. Back then I had longer hair, so she braided it and tied with a bow. I felt it took a long time and was really worried to come late. I didn’t managed to eat my lunch so mum gave me two pieces of bread with marmalade and put them in a clean cloth. She kissed me good-bye and said: ‚Now you run not to be late.‘ Oh well, I came to school and it was empty.”