Anna Sičová

“Denn wir fahren, denn wir fahren gegen Engelland…“ “Do you know what it was like then? Once there was a flood and the Dyje got frozen and there was thick ice. And there was a stream and all the floes were there. And children were on the floes singing, ´denn wir fahren gegen Engelland´. Well, they might have got drowned – it was a flood that spring. It had started to crack. But you know children!“

“And I was wondering, when you were moving, how many families had left Frélichov?“ „How many of them had left? Not many...“ „So you left early?“ „Our family was one of the first.“ „Did you know it before that you were going to leave?“ „Well, there was a man and his task was to ensure some accommodation and work for us. We were offered to go to Huzová – there were many houses which were empty because of the displaced Germans. But we didn't want that. We worked for a farmer for some time. I don't really remember what my father was doing. They displaced us in 1948 and he died in 1953.“ „So, it was like that: Somebody arrived, saying, ´You have to go there.´ Was your father allowed to go and check the place before?“ „No, they arrived and said,´Look, you take this and get out. Get ready, the trucks are coming and you are leaving. Load all that you have and let's go.´ Our cow was left there. One man who lived in the street near the churchyard took it. It was a nice cow – good, fat … and so he got it for free.“

“It was so enjoyable there! The frogs croaking … when my children were small, I used to tell them, ´You know, it was so nice in Frélichov ...´ There were storks and frogs in the river. And the frogs were croaking. All the evenings. In summer we went swimming in the Dyje – men and women when they returned from work – there were not many bathrooms in the houses then. And in the evenings, when I went to sleep, I listened to the frog concerts just behind our house – it was just nice.”