"And suddenly a young priest came here [to Jesenice]. Professor Josef Dolista, then parish priest. Because the church secretary found out that the young people were coming to him. So they took him to Jesenice, where no young people would follow him. No young people go to church there. So they sent him to Jesenice, such an outstanding person. Today he is a university professor. And what happened. It was Sunday, [the policeman on the corner by the church was taking notes again]. And one day, it was a Sunday when two buses stopped in front of that church. And an incredible number of young people swarmed from those buses. And they went to that church. And the National Security Corps officer didn't know what to do. Should he call the police? After all, they didn't do anything. They could blame him for not writing down the names. So, he wrote there again only the few names who went to church regularly and kept quiet about this. And the young people followed him. Sometimes they went by car, sometimes they were hitchhiking. That was clear.'
"Well, we go to church a lot now, because we once went on a church trip to Svatá Hora in Příbram. And there was a conversion between me and my wife in a matter of seconds. So, we are really practicing Roman Catholic Christians with all that goes with it, and we know that we are sinners. And that we have to ask for forgiveness and it's the only meaningful thing to do. Forgive. We must forgive, Lord. So, we forgive.”
"Dad was more of a scared person, and my mom - she was a lioness. She said: 'You know, dad, we're going to go to the people who kicked us out of the house and ask for some things. It's not possible that they threw us out with two bags like that!' So they went there and there was such an interesting thing. They didn't have a cradle for me, so they asked for it: 'We have a cradle and a baby bed for the little boy.' And the lady said: 'You can only get one thing, we won't give you both. A cradle, or a bed.' But then the mother lioness said: 'Shame on you!' 'Then take it!' Well, our father was a musician and he was meticulous and had a huge music archive that he had to leave in that house. And my mother says, 'Please, we'll go over there and ask for the sheet music, they don't need it anyway.' So, they went there, asking if he could get the sheet music, and the new owner says, 'And what are the sheet music?' 'Well German sheet music.' 'Yes, German sheet music? Take them, we'd burn it anyway.' So, there were also more humorous things like that."
"'Mr. Cír, I'm not moving from here until you do it, until... just sign it here for me. And you will not hear from me ever again. You will not even have to shovel as you're doing here. And you are toiling those children there with some kind of agricultural work.' We had part time jobs, but JZD (unified agricultural cooperative) - it wasn't agricultural work, torturing children. And that was enough for me. And my uncle says: 'I don't feel like it yet.' So, they sat there for about three hours and he said: 'Mr. Cír, is this your last word? Good, then we will increase your quota again.' This was severance pay. They had less than three hectares."
Rudolf Krouza was born on August 2, 1944 in Jesenice near Rakovník into a mixed Czech-German family. His relatives were affected by the events of the Second World War and the subsequent retributions. His uncle František Cír ended up as a German soldier in Soviet captivity, where he died in 1944. Another uncle, Josef Burian, probably died during the massacre in Postoloprty. The witness´s parents lost their home and had to survive with their son in nearby Chotěšov, but they avoided deportation to Germany. They lived in Chotěšov for some time, in 1947 they obtained replacement accommodation in the school building from the municipality. In 1958, based on a court decision, the parents managed to get back the house in Jesenice, because Beneš’s decrees should not have applied to them. In 1961, the witness entered the Faculty of Pharmacy in Bratislava, which he successfully graduated despite setbacks due to his background report (a file with information about one´s class background, one´s views and ideological attitudes). He worked as a pharmacist all his life. Since the end of 1972, he has been running a pharmacy in Jesenice.
František Cír, the witness's uncle and godfather, was captured by Red Army soldiers during the fighting. Died in a Soviet POW camp on December 24, 1944 of starvation
František Cír, the witness's uncle and godfather, was captured by Red Army soldiers during the fighting. Died in a Soviet POW camp on December 24, 1944 of starvation
First from the right Antonín Cír, third from the left mother Anna Círová, back row – cousin Josef and witness Rudolf Krouza, great-grandmother Albína Círová's birthday celebration, 1957
First from the right Antonín Cír, third from the left mother Anna Círová, back row – cousin Josef and witness Rudolf Krouza, great-grandmother Albína Círová's birthday celebration, 1957
