Gertrúda Drozdová

“When the Germans began to chase people at night, we used to call it a raid. There were usually two guards, two SS members in uniforms with rifles. They used to go from house to house, ring the bell at housekeeper’s and ask, where the Jews lived. And the housekeeper then said: ‘You know, what was I supposed to do? They had rifles!’ So she told them the truth. They took us that night to Kozia Street and centralized us in one house. I think it was number 21. Here they brought us, took notes and divided people into transports: ‘You will go here, you there!’ And then they took some people to the station. Luckily, we had papers there, since everyone tried to hunt for something, what could cover his identity. Those were dreadful times.”

“They robbed the stores, everything! All of the better apartments were taken! They completely precluded our living! Precluded whole families, people. Well, try to live without money. Good thing is that it seems now like the time has passed quite fast. The persecution took several years, beginning in 1938 and escalating year by year. The worst of all was the year 1942, I guess, but we survived it. The wartime was terrible. In each sphere it was tough, even the shopping, food, some stores were already closed. Fortunately, some stores were open, although, when one lacked money, what could he do? We cooked and ate just potato pancakes. This was available as well as the milk was quite cheap. I remember there was a cannikin for 2 liters of milk and we used to fill it in shops.”