Josef Podběra

“After the election the communists took over. It was hard to tell who was a greater thief. When I was imprisoned – I had been in Jáchymov, Leopoldov – and when I then returned to the technical institute in Pankrác, that Communist Party chairman and the head of the ČSD works in Louny was brought in. They put him to prison for stealing some paints in the workshop, but there was more than that.”

“I was put in a correction cell in the Barbora uranium mine in Jáchymov, that was the worst correction of all, especially in winter. There were no windows, just holes. At night, they provided you with a plank, 20 cm wide. That was your bed. There was nothing on top of it. I only had one blanket with holes. You had your boots on, foot-rags and underwear. Sometimes they gave you a smock-frock ,but mostly it was just a shirt and a loose coat. No trousers. This was the warden Kulhánek. I was put in the correction cell often, mostly for saying something stupid. Somebody always turned me in... For example: this happened on the last April day, and it was enough to send me for correction. I made a joke: ´Guys, tomorrow (on May Day), we shall dress up and march in the May Day parade.´”

“I worked in the train cars section. They ordered me to arrange cars for their journey to Prague. I prepared cars which had no windows or doors for them. It was in winter, and when they arrived, they got sick with flu. My dad got kicked out of the train workshop immediately after, because he was heard saying that it was the Allies who had won the war, and not the Soviets. Pamphlets were being printed, and then there was this attack at one communist whose name was Franta. But the attack was done only to in order to scare them. We placed the device behind his window. I didn’t agree with it at that time, and I still don’t, even now, because intimidation was pointless at the time when they were already killing people.”

“While in Jáchymov, I passed through the Mariánská mine, then I was in Rovnost and Barbora-vršek. There was an infamous warden, who was a thief. He made us buy things, which he would later steal from us. He was selling us expensive coffee and cigarettes. His name was Kulhánek. The chief commander Slánský only supported him. I must not forget to mention my arch enemy, chief František Paleček in the Rovnost camp. He was a murderer, and he must have been even worse than SS men. My experience with him is incomparable to anything else. He was not even human. I would say he was a hyena, but that would be an offense to the animal. Chief Paleček devised special punishments. No correction cells. Instead, he made you stand outside in winter in a snow storm in strictly defined clothing. I was standing outside for 48 hours, but that’s nothing compared to the Jehovah Witnesses (with whom I absolutely disagree), who were outside for a week. They defrosted them in the washing room and then sent them out again.”