Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ...

Interview with Mrs. Květoslava Moravečková
I’d like to start with a question about your childhood. Where did you grow up and what are
your memories of your parents?
I was born February 10, 1924, I was the only child and my parents were very kind. My mom
and dad would do anything for me. I went to school in Malín 1 and I had quite good grades. In
Malín there was an elementary school that I attended for four years. Then I passed entrance
exams to Vlašský Dvůr secondary school and stayed there for another four years. My family
had farm land, about 12 hectares, and we also farmed a field that my uncle owned, so that we
had enough for the cattle. Altogether we had four cows, a heifer and a few horses. My family
was Czech and my granddad always taught me Czech songs. My granddad and my dad could
speak German and Czech perfectly. I was supposed to go on an exchange program 2 to learn
German, but unfortunately it never happened because the war started. Before the war started
I had gone to a training college for nursery school teachers in Křižovnická Street opposite the
Parliament 3 because I had always wanted to bring up small children.
Did you farm your land by yourselves?
My mom had a maid, Kristýnka, and she helped with the household and we also had a house
that we used for accommodating farm workers. These workers helped us with work and of
course got paid for it. Yet, we were cottagers and my father never pretended to be a farmer,
although in reality he was a farmer through and through. We also had two women working
for us and they did the hoeing. Sometimes my auntie from America came. Auntie wrote for the
journal Ženské Listy in America and for the Hospodářské Noviny newspaper also in America.
One time a woman called Mrs. Pavlíková, who also wrote for Ženské Listy, came with auntie.
They both knew Alice Masaryková, the daughter of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk 4 . In America,
there was an organisation called the Czech Ladies Association, a member of which was also
Alice Masaryková. Alice was always telling them to stop by at Lány 5 when they come to Czechoslovakia.
Once when my auntie and Mrs. Pavlíková did go to Lány, they took me along. I was
about ten years old, they dressed me up fine and off we went. I will never forget the meeting
with President Masaryk. I see it as clearly as if it was today. He came riding a horse, jumped
down nimbly, handed the reins to the groom and bowed for the ladies. I remember auntie telling
me that I must not greet the President ‘Ruku líbám!’ (Kissing your hand Sir.), but I must tell
him, ‘Nazdar!’ (Hi!) So I told him ‘Nazdar!’ (Hi!) and shook his hand. He replied, ‘Nazdar!’ (Hi!).
I still like to recollect the meeting even today.
1 Malín – a small village close to Kutná Hora which is a town in Central Bohemia.
2 Exchange program – this is an exchange of children between families for about one year when children were supposed
to learn a foreign language and some profession. In Czech this was usually an exchange with German families.
3 Nowadays it is the Rudolfinum building in Prague.
4 Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was the first Czechoslovak President. He was in office from 1918 to 1935.
5 Lány – the seat of Czechoslovak and Czech Presidents.
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