Ľudovít Volf

* 1948

  • "In Martin, in my second year, I was rated as the best apprentice. I went to the Tatras to the hotel Javorina for recreation. But we had a lot of work with the clover at home, so father called me to come home to dry the clover. We were supposed to be there for a week, but I left home on Tuesday. And then, after a week, it came to pay 9000 crowns. My father says that he won't sell that much clover in three years. Because then, we had to pay extra for the recreation. The paper came in that I had abused it. And as a sophomore, I didn't go to the vocational school anymore, but I went to the manufactory. I guess I was good, I already did professional work in the workshop. I earned even better than some old workers. I also had 2800 crowns. Then Master Kocian called both parents to Martin for transfer to a four-year school. They took us to the police in Martin, but when they found out that father was in prison, I couldn't study. "

  • "When the currency came, they took our trucks and used them at Jednota in Námestovo. At that time, Jednota was founded and we had four trucks that they took from us. And at that time, we had to pay the tax. Mom said, 'And why should we pay the tax? You have cars. ”Then they didn't ask us for anything. But when a car was sold, 80,000 crowns came to my mother once. Uncle wanted to take it, but they didn't give him money in the bank because it was written to my mother. So Mom had to go to the bank, but my uncle took the money from her at the bank door.”

  • "We went to my grandmother the most. They had a barn, animals, hares, pigeons. I enjoyed it. At the age of six, I used to drive my grandfather's horse. And I know that because my grandfather and I sat on the border once. My grandfather had a pint of rum, he took a liqueur- glass, picked out a collared pork and picked dry meat from it with a knife. And I say to my grandfather, 'Grandpa, but we still have four furrows, and we're sitting here, on the bord. We have to plow. 'And Grandpa said to me,' Ľudko, never look at how much we have to do, you always enjoy what we have already done. 'He added,' We are sitting here today because you and the brood-mare have six years. "

  • Full recordings
  • 1

    Tvrdošín, 04.07.2020

    (audio)
    duration: 01:02:46
    media recorded in project Stories of the 20th century
  • 2

    Tvrdošín, 01.08.2020

    (audio)
    duration: 38:13
    media recorded in project Stories of the 20th century
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“While we were working together, I caught up with a missed relationship with my father, says the son of a political prisoner, Ľudovít Volf.”

Ľudovít Volf
Ľudovít Volf
photo: from the interview

Ľudovít Volf was born on July 6, 1948 as the third child to parents Mária and Ondrej Volf. He grew up in Orava in the village with the name, Klin. In the 1950’s, because of the hatred and jealousy of his acquaintances, his father unhung an anti-state leaflet at the door of the Local National Committee in Klin, under threat. He was imprisoned for more than seven years. Ľudovít’s life has changed since then. In the village, people condemned them and lived through years of hardship. During primary school, he and his siblings experienced bullying by classmates. He trained as a lathe operator in Martin and applied his craft. He worked all his life, but most enjoyed the work of a courier. He worked with his father for a while, doing home heating. However, his family did not rest in Klin due to the constant persecution by the State Security. In 1977, the parents moved to Malženice near Trnava. Ľudovít currently lives with his wife Marta in Tvrdošín.