Václav Čechlovský

* 1922

  • “When Americans liberated our country, that was on 29 April at half past five in the evening in 1945, that was the exact time they liberated us, we were already flying, we wanted to get over the gate. They would not let us go yet. Then the gate rolled out, we went to appellplatz and there we normally welcomed those American boys, just Yanks. There came one, driving a car and up on a car were those boys, playing it cool. They were a kind of dudes; came there and we began to great them instantly. We went to delousing. They changed out clothes and we went have a look under the showers. I was a guardian. Also I was a bath master for a while. A transport of women came, the death march as they called it. About thirty or fourty women of various age arrived and went to have a bath. They cut them, all hair off. And there (in the bathroom – author´s note) they fell, some women died under the warm water. I was turning on water of about forty degrees. What is that? Good enough to let the dirt fall off.”

  • “I ate a half and all of a sudden someone knocked on the door. I heard Mrs. Winklemann: ‚Ja, ja, ist dort.‘ He is at home. I went to have a look from the window, but already expected something happening. Otherwise I´d run away. I could not do that, as there he was (a man – author´s note) in a light blue leather coat. So I said: ‚Herein.‘ He came in a decent manner, real decently they took me. He asked: ‚Sind Sie Wenzel Čechlovsky?‘ I replied: ‚Ja, das bin ich.‘ So I had to pack it up.”

  • “From Dejvice we walked all the way up to Liboc. Sometimes we put them (leaflets – author´s note) to the mailbox, or up on columns, house walls, fences and so on. One day my dad´s acquaintance from the criminal department came to visit, and said: ‚Look, Radek, the boy has to go away. He was blacklisted by the gestapo. And real fast. I will make arrangements on the work office in Kozí plácek. You get the papers, tickets and all.‘ So I packed up, took my suitcase, where I got my suits, so I looked good, went to Kozí plácek and got my documents there, including the durchlassschein, ausweis and food vouchers. The second I was off to Berteschsgaden. I had a placement card.”

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    Praha, 18.07.2015

    (audio)
    délka: 03:40:53
    nahrávka pořízena v rámci projektu Stories of 20th Century
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In Dachau there was a sign up on the gate saying: Arbeit macht frei. I was telling myself: Oh, dear me

Václav Čechlovský
Václav Čechlovský
zdroj: archiv Václava Čechlovského

Václav Čechlovský was born on 14 April, 1922 in a village of Ptrukša near Velké Kapušany in the Eastern Slovakia. He grew up in a Hungarian environment and his childhood and was not happy. His mum died early and his father casted Vaclav off as orphan in Košice. Although he was put in care of Czech guardian family, the Hellers, but their marriage was not happy. Miss Hellerová left with Václav to Užhorod in Ruthenia, where she re-married a member of the financial guard, Radoslav Čechlovský. The family moved to Prague and Václav graduated an elementary school and apprenticed a shoe-maker. In 1939 he took part in anti-Nazi leaflets distribution and as his father was warned again gestapo interests, also Václav was agreed to leaf for work to Germany. He was placed in Obersalzberg to do roadworks. Later a company Xaver and Werner chose him and he moved to a position of plan copier. Then he also changed several positions in various places; also worked as a shoe-maker in a company Angerer in Ramsau and then a company Kosian in Bertechsgaden. In 1942 he was arrested by the gestapo. Until today he never learnt the real reason, as it may have been sabotages he committed at work, but he also maintained connection with German anti-Nazi resistance. The gestapo interrogated him harshly and was imprisoned in Obersalzberg, Hammerau, Bad Reichenhall and also stayed in a notorious Nazi „sekyrárna“ in Stadelheim. On 11 February, 1943 he was transported in a concentration camp in Dachau, where he stayed in the blocks no. 25, 27 and 29. On 29 April, 1945 the concentration camp was liberated by the American army and Václav Čechlovský could leave home via Pilsen. After war he worked in a post-office in Prague as a shoe-maker in the National Security Corps and as a driver. Currently (2015) Václav Čechlovský lives in Prague.