Lucia Kowalska

"My uncle came back from captivity, he was my mother's younger brother. He also came to us, he came here. He was hiding himself in the hay barn, because the Russians didn’t let us live. And then the Railway Directorate in Olsztyn was burned so he worked as a bricklayer, he was building and he was plastering as well… etc. So once he brought 500 zloty, the brownish-orange, I remember it…. And he said: Now go to the market and buy for my grandmother - because she was lying sick - a piece of ... Buy a pint of oil, a piece of bacon and white bread for grandma. I went then. And the market was where the social security is now; such stalls stood there... I keep the money so proudly that everyone could see that I had them, so nobody could say I wouldn’t pay, right? And the lady in front of me – there were some stalls with ham – she said - Please let me try a piece of sausage and this one as well, and that one ... I thought: Not bad, I have not been eaten anything, maybe I should try the some? I kept money and I said – would you mind me trying a bit of this sausage? Well, he sliced a piece… Well - Thank you, I will not take it. So...that was it. I only bought what I was told to buy. My uncle got sick when my grandmother has died ... He was sick and cold at that day so he went to a doctor. He said: - I am going to a doctor, to the city. And grandmother called to buy some fish. I thought: - Well, what if she was gone ... They must eat before they will be gone …passed away I meant… they should have something they had an appetite for ... Well, I said, the uncle would be back so I would not stay alone. And my uncle didn’t come back on time. When he returned grandmother was already dead, she died at 1 PM".

"And after the war, I was … In 1946 I went to live in my aunt house, in 1946 and in June, I went to this school, to Morag. My uncle arrived from England that time. He was in the Polish Army in England during the war and he finally came back. And I saw there ... They had a large farm in Jaroty. And he came to visit us there. One day I was in the kitchen when he and my aunt sat in the room, and the door to the room was open. He said so to my aunt: - What do you think we are supposed to do with this girl? She will not be your maid, will she? Aunt answered: - I don’t want it but we need to find a place for her to learn something. So he said if he got a job at the Ludowy University, he would take me there - to the university. Next time he came and said: You can come with me ... I said - I will not go by myself. I’ve never been in a such place before, I'm too scared. He said: Take some of your friend in that way…. So I found. Her name was Jozka Rogawska from Jaroty. I took her with me and we both went to Morag, to this school. So we both were there, that is it".

"There was the The Party Community Centre in Klebark but I never was a member. I was called a couple of times by the ... what was his name? This or that…and he said: You should enroll in the Party. I answered - I do not need it. And I will not belong at most - Well- he said – you have a position – I said ... It's not enough, throw me away then. But I'm not going to the party ... Member of my household has never belonged so I will not – That was it. And once they came here, to the District Committee from Olsztyn, in a black Volga, and they said - We came to see you. I said - Yes? – We will talk personally with you. Mary, my friend was with me that day so I told her – Leave us, I'll talk to them. They said then – you know why we came here? I answered - I do not know, but for sure I'll find out. - Well, yes. We want you to join the party and become a member because of your job.. I said: - That's not all ... you make more... Yes, you will come and visit me again when you put the Party into the order of so I will not be ashamed of being a member. I was ashamed to join, ashamed to belong to the same party. No – I said: - Then you will come again. But they never did, they were thrown out, such drunks".

"PF: When the war ended and the Red Army was entering here, what happened? Do you remember that moment? L. K.: Yes, I remember. Eighty-three people were killed in Jaroty. Eighty-three people, yes. And that was a horrible nation [the Russians].. I wish nobody to meet them….. this nation to come around here ... Something awful. P. F.: Who was killed then? Hosts or… L. K.: Well, they were drunk so they killed anyone. Well, if they found Hitler picture somewhere or something like that…,they killed for sure… PF: But in your family… nobody was killed, was he/she? LK: No, but in Jaroty in Pękwit’s house seven people were killed, because these women there, they did not want to go to bed with them. And they killed all of them. And ... someone was lying on the street, near the school ... Oh ... No, no, no ... maybe not… A distillery was in old Olsztyn, and when they got drunk, then 120 people were probably killed in Szczesny, 83 were killed in Jaroty, it is not so far, one place from another, isn’t it? P. F.: Were you in Jaroty at that day? L. K. Of course! P. F.: So what? Did you hide from them? L. K.: Yes. We were at Ratki’s house. As they came, they just were messing around with the guns… We were in about thirty people in one room, we slept on the ground. And they all had lice, and everything…. Something awful. I can’t even describe. And they took us as well, we were taken for labor. I had just slippers on my feet... You can not know where it all were there in Jaroty ... you must milk cows and give a drink. What would you do if you couldn’t… must give a drink. A winter, cold…. Yes, it is".

"We had a very kind nursemaid in Jaroty. Her surname was Ms. Dobrzyńska. But what was her name? Elizabeth ... Elizabeth Dobrzyńska. She was cool. When my mother died, she came with these children, she took my hand and said – Just have a look – it is your mom. I was 4-5 years old. - She's only sleeping. - Well, yes… But she was so nice... I also went to kindergarten. It was so nice. We were poor but she was always so friendly to me... I used to go during the break, I went to.... The school was next to the kindergarden. She told me to come. She said: come during breaks, you will take the sandwich, or: I'll give you some bread. She always gave some sandwiches or rolls, yes she did. She was a very good person".

" I worked for one and a half year in a communal society (C.S): four thousand ... 4500, I earned this amount in previous, previous currency and a kilogram of the pork with the bone cost 500 zł. I used to eat one stale roll in the morning and I drank one bottle of soda water. That was my whole day. And on Sunday, I went to a church and I had some books to read… Because there was nothing else. I was paying 800 zł for house renting and I had to have some money with me to be able to buy something for the body…as they say. So, that it was. Sometimes my colleague from Purdy used to come. They had two cows, and she always brought a bit of butter (made ​​on their own) and they baked some bread and smoked their own ham. Then we could eat a bit more. Then we were getting a better salary so we both could dinner at Schulz restaurant in Klebark. But as I said, a half of a year was poverty, misery. Dry bread and soda, it was all day dining".