Selected text
While Horthy’s regime [19] in Hungary did persecute and discriminate against Jews, it wasn’t done in such a manner as in our country. That man in Kosice gave us money, bought train tickets to Budapest, and accompanied us there himself. In Budapest my wife and I separated, she lived in Buda and I in Pest. In Budapest I managed to find the address of my old friend from Michalovce [Kosice region]. We’d met each other during the time in Hashomer. He was named Jozef Baumer. He lived with his friends under a false name, and he also arranged false papers to other people, as well as illegal emigration to the Palestine. He even arranged work for me with one businessman who manufactured dolls. My job was to paint their faces.
In Budapest I lived in relative calm from the end of January to the end of March [1944], until the Germans occupied the city [Hungary was occupied by the Germans on 19th March 1944 – Editor’s note]. At that time my friends and I wanted to illegally take a boat down the Danube to the Palestine. The problem, however, was that the boat was small, and applicants many. As I was among the last on the list, I had to stay behind. In the end, although with difficulty, they did succeed.
My wife and I had gotten used to Budapest to such a degree, that one nice March day we bought tickets to the operetta. Back then I was using false papers under the name of Wojcechowski. For I had found out that Horthy had good relations with the Polish government in exile in England. That’s why he let Polacks live in Hungary. I went to the police and spoke in the Saris dialect. The Hungarian police thought it was Polish. So I got documents with the name of Wojcechowski. On the way to the operetta, we met a former member of the Hashomer, who was from Poland. It was the same day that the Germans occupied Hungary. That acquaintance told us that he knew a German communist woman, who was hiding Polacks for a small sum. So we decided to not go to the operetta, but to the German woman’s place. We stayed at her place for only a little while.
During one raid, my wife and I were crossing the street. When I noticed that the Germans were checking everyone’s papers, I sent my wife to go hide in the basement of a nearby theater. In the moment t hat I remained alone, I remembered the plot of one American detective film that I had seen during my student days. At that moment I made use of it. I stepped out towards them, and addressed the Gestapo officer in German: “Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wieviel Uhr ist es?” [German: Excuse me, what time is it?] He looked at his watch: “Halb Zwölf.” [German: eleven thirty]. I disappeared behind his back and continued onwards. That was a moment of surprise, a moment that truly decided whether I would live.
In Budapest I lived in relative calm from the end of January to the end of March [1944], until the Germans occupied the city [Hungary was occupied by the Germans on 19th March 1944 – Editor’s note]. At that time my friends and I wanted to illegally take a boat down the Danube to the Palestine. The problem, however, was that the boat was small, and applicants many. As I was among the last on the list, I had to stay behind. In the end, although with difficulty, they did succeed.
My wife and I had gotten used to Budapest to such a degree, that one nice March day we bought tickets to the operetta. Back then I was using false papers under the name of Wojcechowski. For I had found out that Horthy had good relations with the Polish government in exile in England. That’s why he let Polacks live in Hungary. I went to the police and spoke in the Saris dialect. The Hungarian police thought it was Polish. So I got documents with the name of Wojcechowski. On the way to the operetta, we met a former member of the Hashomer, who was from Poland. It was the same day that the Germans occupied Hungary. That acquaintance told us that he knew a German communist woman, who was hiding Polacks for a small sum. So we decided to not go to the operetta, but to the German woman’s place. We stayed at her place for only a little while.
During one raid, my wife and I were crossing the street. When I noticed that the Germans were checking everyone’s papers, I sent my wife to go hide in the basement of a nearby theater. In the moment t hat I remained alone, I remembered the plot of one American detective film that I had seen during my student days. At that moment I made use of it. I stepped out towards them, and addressed the Gestapo officer in German: “Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wieviel Uhr ist es?” [German: Excuse me, what time is it?] He looked at his watch: “Halb Zwölf.” [German: eleven thirty]. I disappeared behind his back and continued onwards. That was a moment of surprise, a moment that truly decided whether I would live.
Location
Slovakia
Interview
Jozef W.