Zdenka Vévodová

“We came to the bridge and the planes flew overhead. They were Romanian planes. Of course they wanted to hit a German military column, but they hit the bridge where we were walking. Before the bridge we met with Mařenka’s mom, Mrs Trčková, and as we were getting ready to cross the bridge, the bombardment started. The bombs hit the bridge as well as people and a cart with oxen. Twelve people died on April 12 in the bombardment. Mrs Trčková partially shielded me with her body. From under her, I watched the spraying water as the bombs hit the river Olšava. It quieted down in couple of minutes. Then screams and cries came. Mrs Trčková slowly stood up, she was injured on the side of her head, and said: ‚Let‘s go Mařenka!‘ Mařenka remained on that bridge forever. We held hands. She was a very good friend.“

“These were horrible moments. My brother was eleven years old and wanted to visit her all the time. Imagine that we did not even recognize her. This is no exaggeration. We did not recognize her. I told the guard that we are here to see Mrs Stehlíčková and she said: ‘This is Stehlíčková.’ Eight months of prison changed her appearance beyond recognition. Twisting disfigured her mouth and she lost thirty kilograms of weight. Within a few weeks mom arrived at home. They let her go because they were afraid she might die in prison from weight loss as well as other medical issues. They ordered her to arrive home in the evening so no one would see her. The next morning she was to be hospitalized in Uherské Hradiště.“

“That day was horrible. They brought my father in a car with window bars like he was a murderer. They brought him by like a sideshow for the town to see. It was horrible for me to watch. My mom stood accused of abetting a crime by enabling illegal activity at our home. That was the main charge. They also said that she participated by accepting work orders, which I don’t think she ever did because she did not understand the business. Father was the only one who was involved in the business. But they had to find something, anything to charge, sentence and imprison her. We did not know why for a long time. When the sentencing took place it was something horrible! I am very upset even today. Father was sentenced to five years and confiscation of all property and mom was sentenced to two and a half years as well as the property confiscation. I said to myself that this cannot be happening. Two and a half years in prison. What for? I realized later that the goal of all this was for the Bojkovice communist functionaries to take our house so they could use it as a building for municipal services. When they found out that mom is the owner, she was sentenced and punished.”