Czechs got into a fight while stealing their property
Rudolf Zwiener was born on 28 July 1937 in Domašov (Thomasdorf in German) to parents of German nationality, Wilibald and Maria Zwiener. Three of his brothers enlisted in the Wehrmacht during World War II. The eldest, Emil, was killed in Belgium and Josef had an immobile leg after a wound. After the war, the family was not included in the removal of Germans, but in May 1948 they still had to leave their home in Domašov within twenty-four hours. The family of eleven was chosen for agricultural work by a farmer from Smržice in the Prostějov region. After finishing primary school in Smržice, Rudolf joined the state farm, where he took care of pigs and milked cows. He then worked in a breeding station, and graduated from night school as a plumber. In 1963, he married Anelies Franke, who was from Lipová-Lázně and was also of German descent. They settled in this village not too far from Domašov and their children Petr, Rudolf and Andrea were born there. Most of the other members of Rudolf Zwiener’s family remained in Smržice. They had nowhere to return to because their house in Domašov was occupied. After arriving in Lipová-lázná, Rudolf Zwiener joined the municipal services in Jeseník as a plumber, where he worked until the fall of the communist regime. He then took the opportunity to become a private owner. At the time of filming in 2024, he was still living in Lipová-lázně.