The war was far from ideal, but Communism turned the place into a concentration camp
Download image
Libuše Kowačová, née Kučerová, was born on 18 June 1922 into the family of a legionnaire in Břeclav. She trained to be a seamstress. During the war she functioned as a go-between for the local resistance and the Belgian captives held in the POW camp near Břeclav. During one of her errands in 1942 she was arrested by the Gestapo. They imprisoned her for several weeks, interrogated her, but in the end released her on conditional discharge. In 1946 she married Vladimír Kowač, whom she knew from before the war. In the years 1939-1945 Vladimír Kowač served as a pilot in the 311th Bomber and 312th Fighter Squadron of the RAF in England. This war veteran and colonel returned to his homeland in 1945, but when the Communists came to power, they degraded him and took away his job. Although he was afterwards employed only in manual labour, he still had to change jobs because of frequent dismissals. The family’s property was confiscated, including Libuše’s own small business. The Kowačes’ daughter emigrated to England in 1968. Libuše Kowačová is widowed and lives in Břeclav. Her husband Vladimír Kowač died in Břeclav on 24 July 2001 at the age of 83. After his death, a commemorative plaque in his memory was placed on the building of the primary school on 17. listopadu (17 November) Street in Břeclav.
