"Extraordinary heroism, amazing - the willingness to lay down one's life for the country, that's amazing and I don't know if our nation would be capable enough, those people who are of that military age to go and fight. I think they would probably be more in favor of defeatism. And I would be afraid of that, that's why I'm glad that we didn't make that decision. But they made up their minds and they fight and they know they can't win because the overpower is awesome but they tried. And that will always remain in them, and even if the war would end with a Russian victory, let the Russians be afraid of partisanship. That partisanship will be all over their territory, and I would certainly keep my fingers crossed for those who would partisan."
"I see my crying mother who took me by the hand and led me to Příkopy, which was the closest lively street to see the Germans coming. And the people there were crying, standing on the sidewalk, and the Germans were waving white scarves over there by the German house and shouting: 'Glory!' And at the other end, towards Műstek, there was also a group of Germans who welcomed the German soldiers and they mostly rode motorcycles with sidecars or in cars full of soldiers. And do you know that at that time they told terribly Polish jokes? Always - as a Pole would say, how do you say 'the German army'? So, the answer was: 'Circus plechowy' (tin circus) and the like."
"Then came the second one I remember, she was called Gustl. She was from a fascist family. Her father was a head teacher somewhere in Planá near Mariánské lázně and he had several other sons, and they were fascists, followers of Hitler. Gustl was also a supporter of Hitler. My mom, who was a Democrat, couldn't stand her. They argued with each other. I heard it, the arguments. Gustl was very aggressive, she was such a Nazi, she only recognized the Nordic race like Hitler, and I had black hair and pigtails. And when she was supposed to comb my hair, she showed her distaste for my hair. That if I had blonde hair, that it would be better, black hair, that she doesn't like it, that it disgusts her."
"Mrs. Masaryk, when they lived there in Podlesi near Valasske Mezirici and she was supposed to come back from vacation, suffered one of her I would say attacks, she suffered from heart disease and couldn't leave. The furniture was already moved out of the room. Masaryk solved it. He brought one straw mattress for himself, one straw mattress for aunts who helped with moving and Mrs. Masaryk still had a bed there, and so they lasted the last night. In the morning, the housewife brought real coffee and cream for the nobility and milk and some coffee substitute for the maids. Mrs. Masaryk got very mad and put all together, and so it was and she wanted it. Because it wasn't possible for the maids to have anything other than nobility."
"I recall that I was grateful to my aunt as she was telling me from time to time so much about the Masaryk family and talked about them with a great respect, as did my father. We all liked Mrs. Masaryk very much and considered her a real lady who never slandered anyone, wished everyone all the good, tried to help everyone and comply with anything. And I would say she did not deserve her unfortunate fate. She lost her beloved son Herbert and she was in a very difficult situation during the was when her daughter Elis was arrested, she was in danger of being executed and her son Jan was a soldier and in danger of dying in the front line. And Olga, the fourth member of the family, was abroad with Professor Masaryk, and Mrs. Masaryková had no news about them. She didn't even want to have any news, because she was constantly questioned by the Austrian authorities."
Hana Pardubová, née Jarošková, was born on December 2, 1928 in Prague. She graduated from high school, which was named after Charlotte Masaryk. Her aunts, Marie and Francis, worked as servants at the family of T. G. Masaryk. Together with Aunt Francis she met Alice Masaryk in person in 1938. She experienced the struggles of the Prague uprising and the liberation of Prague. After the war she studied English and worked as a teacher. She lived in Vsetín in 2022. She died on September 1, 2024.
Standing from the left Emil Jarošek and Václav Jarošek. Seated from the left: Jaroslav Jarošek (father of my mother, whose photo you have as a sixteen-year-old), Anastázie Jarošková - one of the nurses, who worked at the doctor in Mezirici, where prof. Masaryk often was.
Standing from the left Emil Jarošek and Václav Jarošek. Seated from the left: Jaroslav Jarošek (father of my mother, whose photo you have as a sixteen-year-old), Anastázie Jarošková - one of the nurses, who worked at the doctor in Mezirici, where prof. Masaryk often was.
