Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ...

eyes when I heard what people from my building wrote about me. What people who knew me
and knew I was a famous person wrote about me. So the prosecutor put the worst on us again
regardless of proof or confirmation from the court that it’s standing on our high sentences, but
we were still hoping. I remember Dr. Kruk as though it was today, how his hands were shaking,
sweat was running down, and he was completely flabbergasted. This guy was certainly doing
something that was against his will, his voice was shaking when he confirmed that all the sentences
are confirmed by the highest court.
What ran through your head at that moment?
I remember that even at that moment, even Modrý, who still continued to play the hero, said,
“Well guys the cage door just closed and we’re inside. No one will help us now. “ The highest
court confirmed the sentences of the state court and we knew that we couldn’t do anything,
just live through that time or wait for a presidential pardon or be released on a two-thirds
or one-half punishment for good behavior and satisfactory work. All prisoners were fooling
themselves that they wouldn’t be there for their whole sentence and that they would get
out earlier. That was happening later too when I got into camps in the Jáchymov area or the
Příbram area. In every prisoner there was a little light of hope that their day of freedom would
pop out. There would have to be a rebellion or a war and then we all would be released or
that we would be released on a condition reversed by the court or something similar to that.
When we were getting back from the highest court on the 22nd of December, just two days
before Christmas Day, I remember in front of Pankrác Hall there were our parents, sisters, boys’
children and none of them were let into the process.
Did you have a chance to see any of your relatives during this time before the final court
decision?
No, but I have a little memory in my head when we were coming to Prague. They took us in
an “anton” all tied up together to the rail station in Plzeň. There we had a wagon with a coup
reserved and surrounded by police so no one could enter. We went this way to Prague and
when we got to the main Prague train station, the train stopped on the first platform. They
took us out from the wagon to a special government room, which still exists there and from
there we were waiting for another “anton” to take us to Pankrác. This car backed up right to
the entrance and we went from the room, to the car, and straight to Pankrác. Of course we
went straight in so that no one could see us. While we were sitting in the government salon,
we were allowed to speak although there were secret police around. We looked at each other
and said, “So guys, can you see this? One year ago, another train took us to the first platform.
Here the government welcomed us, Zápotocký 22 , all the Ministers, and all of Prague were at
our feet and today they took us to the same saloon.” I remember that so well. So we thought
that not even a year later, we were something completely different for the nation. We returned
the same way, to the saloon, from the saloon, to the train, by train back to Plzeň, then
into the same “anton” and back to Bory. We got back to the dungeons and continued to work
as I’ve already described.
How did the daily routine of a political prisoner look like in a stone prison?
I was lucky, out of the fifty people who were transported there, I was the youngest one. Right
at the time, one of the prisoners, who was on hall duty left and a commander Trepka had me
22 Antonín Zápotocký was the President of Czechoslovakia at that time.
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