Ewa Klosová

“One night, December 13 it was, 1981, we woke up. I needed to make a phone call, but the phone wouldn’t work. I turned on the radio but there was nothing on the programme. We turned on the TV and on TV there was general Jaruzelski in his uniform, informing viewers in a solemn voice that a state of emergency had been declared in the country. He said it was necessary for the good of Poland etc. And then the speaker, also dressed in a uniform, although I don’t know what his rank was, read what it meant. That they could seize our car if necessary, that a curfew was introduced, from ten p.m. to six a.m., that you cannot travel without a prior authorisation.”

“In the 1970s, and I can remember that time, there was a shortage of everything. Everything indeed. In order to get something, it was necessary to have friends in the stores which had some goods at all. But, then again, the prices were high. There was a lack of food as well. All the time, something was lacking. When there was enough of something, there was shortage of something else. I remember that period as an incessant fight for food, goods, since either you had to stand in a long queue, so that you could get the goods at the very moment it arrived. Otherwise, unless you had a friend who kept something for you secretly, you were unlucky. And we had no friends in the stores. We felt this acutely in the state of emergency. It was horrible.”

“To this day I don’t know whether someone informed on me or not. It hadn’t happen ever before. He wanted to see my handbag straightaway. First I showed him my passport but he wanted to see my handbag. He threw out the contents and there was this Hrabal book. He took the book, left, then returned and asked how much of it I had. I asked what should I have. I knew what was it about but I pretended I didn’t, so I asked what was it he had against that book. I had to get dressed and go with him. At two at night. I had to get dressed, pack my things and get off the train. They put me in a room, told me their officer would come at seven and that I had to wait for him to interrogate me. Two men sat by my side, both pointing their guns at me. I felt terrible. For five hours I waited for his majesty the officer to arrive. Then he finally arrived and he subjected me to a rather lengthy interrogation. I made a scene and challenged them over getting me off the train. I should have been at work in the morning, instead I was still in Poland. He explained that this was not an appropriate book to read. I retorted that Hrabal was a normal official writer. They agreed but pointed out that not all of his books were official. I pretended not to know.”

“The festival was not banned in Poland. No one could interfere there. After the round table, Poland had its democratic Prime Minister since June. The changes were under way and the police had to watch themselves. There were no problems in organising the festival. I can’t remember any intervention. Nothing like that, everything was OK. Perhaps there were some plain clothes officers, I don’t know, but there were not any interventions or raids. Nothing of that sort. The Czechs were quite amazed how possible it was. There was this wonderful solidarity in that sense that Wroclava people took the Czechoslovaks and had them sleep in their flats. Many friendships were struck then.”

“I was surprised to find out that they wanted to partner with me. I didn’t think I was so important for them to want me as an informer. It angered me. For me, it was absolutely unacceptable. And I was unhappy.” — “Did they offer you a better job position?” — “Yes, they did.“ Since they, I hate hotel receptionists. They told me, they would get me a job as a receptionist in a posh hotel and that my life would be different. This was the offer I was given. I told them to get stuffed. Then was left with no income opportunity. I was nobody. In this situation my husband signed Charter 77. But I was really hopeless.”