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In 1941 my grandfather, his wife and his mother left for Michalovce, where
his family came from. My grandfather was living with false documents and a
false birth certificate that were provided by a Greek catholic priest. His
identity was disclosed soon, but he managed to escape and hide. He was
hiding in a flat in which only a thin wall separated him from one of the
high Nazi officers living next door. He had to live without moving around
too much and during that time he was able to learn to play chess, solve
various puzzles, and gain skills in high mathematics. After the war he was
able to surprise a number of his colleagues by the depth of his knowledge
that he gained during the six weeks of hiding.
There is another experience connected with Michalovce. My grandfather was
captured by Hlinka guards, but he realized that if he wanted to survive he
had to escape. He sent a message to my grandmother telling her how to get
him out by pretending to be a Red Cross employee carrying food baskets. She
was able to get in with a Red Cross crew and smuggle him out. Then they
were hiding in Hlohovec, where my grandmother was born. She told me one
story: when the family stayed in Hlohovec, she tried to go out to get some
food. She met a classmate of hers, who looked at her with surprise and
asked, 'How come you are still here?' This memory was very painful for my
grandmother even after the war. My family spent the last weeks of the war
in forests hiding in a potato pit.
In spite of the fact that my father was only four at that time, he vividly
remembers a few dramatic situations from that time and until now he cannot
suppress emotions connected with those moments. He also appreciated some
Slovak farmers who were courageous enough to hide Jewish families. The one
who provided shelter to them came back from the U.S. where he had worked in
mines. There he developed a rather positive attitude towards Jewish people.
He hid them in a small room and supplied them with food. During the raids
of Hlinka guards and Nazi soldiers, he hid them in a deep potato pit and
covered them with potatoes and wood. On one occasion, my father was
separated from his parents and hidden in a stable crib for a week. He
couldn't cry or shout but had to be absolutely quiet. He got something to
eat and drink several times a day. This resulted in his nervous stutter,
which he overcame only many years after the war.
his family came from. My grandfather was living with false documents and a
false birth certificate that were provided by a Greek catholic priest. His
identity was disclosed soon, but he managed to escape and hide. He was
hiding in a flat in which only a thin wall separated him from one of the
high Nazi officers living next door. He had to live without moving around
too much and during that time he was able to learn to play chess, solve
various puzzles, and gain skills in high mathematics. After the war he was
able to surprise a number of his colleagues by the depth of his knowledge
that he gained during the six weeks of hiding.
There is another experience connected with Michalovce. My grandfather was
captured by Hlinka guards, but he realized that if he wanted to survive he
had to escape. He sent a message to my grandmother telling her how to get
him out by pretending to be a Red Cross employee carrying food baskets. She
was able to get in with a Red Cross crew and smuggle him out. Then they
were hiding in Hlohovec, where my grandmother was born. She told me one
story: when the family stayed in Hlohovec, she tried to go out to get some
food. She met a classmate of hers, who looked at her with surprise and
asked, 'How come you are still here?' This memory was very painful for my
grandmother even after the war. My family spent the last weeks of the war
in forests hiding in a potato pit.
In spite of the fact that my father was only four at that time, he vividly
remembers a few dramatic situations from that time and until now he cannot
suppress emotions connected with those moments. He also appreciated some
Slovak farmers who were courageous enough to hide Jewish families. The one
who provided shelter to them came back from the U.S. where he had worked in
mines. There he developed a rather positive attitude towards Jewish people.
He hid them in a small room and supplied them with food. During the raids
of Hlinka guards and Nazi soldiers, he hid them in a deep potato pit and
covered them with potatoes and wood. On one occasion, my father was
separated from his parents and hidden in a stable crib for a week. He
couldn't cry or shout but had to be absolutely quiet. He got something to
eat and drink several times a day. This resulted in his nervous stutter,
which he overcame only many years after the war.
Location
Slovakia
Interview
tomas stern