Czechoslovak Political Prisoners - über das Projekt Political ...

as well. Just remember how it was during Hitler’s era. He got really mad at me. Shortly he said, in
Vienna they knew that much earlier than us. We have a cottage on the Sázava river, where the
tanks went through and they made a huge noise. We just watched what was happening. I would
have never allowed it. I always thought it was impossible. Then I saw the after-effects, how they
were shooting at people on Vinohradská street. Don’t ever tell me they were brothers.
Did you, after August 21st, after the arrival of the Warsaw brigades 20 , have any problems at
work?
No, I formed my principle for this, that I will never deny it. Also, that I will never start talking
about it. However, I had to break this rule once. At one time, I was at a cottage with my son
and the neighbors from next door had a little girl, who was going to kindergarden. She asked,
“Mrs. Stuchlíková, were you in prison?” That was the first time when I denied it because I told
to myself that kid doesn´t need to know anything about it. I was mad at her parents though
because they should be more careful when talking in front of kids. I also didn´t want to admit
it because of my son, so he wouldn’t have problems out of it. He knew it about his dad because
he knew his friends. Finally we had it all out in 1989.
How do you recall the year 1989 in your memories?
I wasn´t in Prague at that time, so I didn´t know much about it. I didn´t go back to Prague
before the Confederation started to be formed. I couldn´t care about it that much because my
husband was very ill.
Do you have any health problems from the experience in the prisons?
In Želiezovce I strained my backbone after the first month and I was suffering from that for
another 20 years. Other girls had problems from the jaundice, about which I have told you
already.
When were you rehabilitated?
I was trying to do that already in 1968. I had a judge Bohdana Smolíková, or something like
that. In her speech she made a murderess out of me, because I had one accomplice, who was
sentenced for one year. I hardly knew him but during the twelve years I was in prison, he died.
She blamed me for his death. So the rehabilitation ended with another fiasco. Then I was rehabilitated
in 1989 without any problems.
Would you be able to forgive them for all the injustice?
You know, the thing I minded the most was living behind the bars. When someone complains
how badly we were treated there, I would forgive them all that. Even if the bars would be made
of gold, they could never be a substitute for freedom. Freedom is the biggest thing in life.
What helped you to live through the years you were in prison?
I think it was anger. I’m not a person who would cry out, but when injustice happens to me,
then I get very angry. Finally, in prison there is life as well, you have some fun, but there are
also terrible things happening there. We had to live through everything. Don’t forget to put
this in. There are about twenty of us who were in prison, our husbands were in prison, and we
don’t have the pension money and we will never get it.
Thank you very much for the interview.
20 Warsaw brigades – Warsaw Agreement was an army pact of the European countries of the Eastern bloc, which existed
in 1955 – 1991. It was based on the Agreement of friendship, cooperation and help, which was signed on May 14, 1955 by
representatives of Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Romania, and U.S.S.R. in Warsaw.
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