Stáhnout obrázek
Kristina Relichová was born on August 3, 1946, to German parents in Děčín. Her father was a textile master, which is why the family was not expelled after the war. Many of her relatives had to move away; her grandmother lived in nearby Bad Schandau. Kristina was the second of six siblings. At home, they spoke Czech and German; her parents would speak German and the children would respond in Czech. At school, she was a little embarrassed to speak German, especially in front of the boys. In the 1950s, the whole family moved to Jiříkov. Her mother was a housewife and her father worked. Kristina Relichová trained as a glazier, but changed jobs after ten years for health reasons. She worked in various places, most recently in a haberdashery shop. During the occupation by Warsaw Pact troops on August 21, 1968, she was very afraid – she had a small child, and tanks were driving around. They did not attempt to communicate with the soldiers in any way. The witness has two daughters. After 1989, she noticed an improvement in her life, but due to her financial situation, she still did not travel abroad. Not much has changed in the witness‘s life, but she enjoys the open borders, including frequent visits from her German neighbours. She feels at home in Jiříkov and would not want to move, even though the town is not very lively. She misses shops and cultural life – to find these, the locals travel to Rumburk, Šluknov or Varnsdorf.
