Jaroslav Vašek

"I was among the people selected to the transport. As we were transported there, we were informed, that in the goal destination, we are going to be shot. We traveled through forests, villages. We rested in a circle enclosed by the guards, forcing us to stay together. In the forest or on a meadow, we had to keep close to each other to remain visible. As we approached the forest, they told as that we are allowed to leave and start working for the farmers, if we want. But who had the strength to do that? We barely walked. An officer came and said in two or three languages, that the war is over. Everyone is allowed to go where they wish. We didn't know whether that's true. Suddenly, al the SSs disappeared. We haven't see the officer. What now? We remained sitting there. Suddenly a man approached me, he was from Uherske Hradiste. We discussed where to go. Covered in lice, where could we go? We started to walk towards east. I said, we had to go east, because I remember the position of sun on the east at home. So we had to go there."

"We had to undress in that concentration camp and go to the shower. We went then, they gave us clothes. They didn't measure, someone had small ones, someone big ones, so we exchanged them. There were many people. Germans, Hungarians, Slovaks, Czechs ... There were an awful lot of foreign languages, so we didn't agree. We were in such a camp. We shared a bed, one mattress above the other. They put us in a long room, without windows, only with vents. We were only allowed to go out on appeal. We all had to get on board and they called for numbers. Who wasn't there, we had to wait for him to show up. When he showed up, he was shot. Before us to know we shouldn't do it. Then everyone got a piece of bread. That was for once. And then soup, some potatoes in it. That was all. I was young, so I put up with it a bit, because I was still going to scratch potatoes in the kitchen and we always got something there. But those who did not work in the kitchen became terribly weak. The appeal was uphill, and when someone couldn't walk, he was "helped" with batons. When he didn't get up, he was shot. And it had a terrible effect on us, I've never seen it, such inhumane treatment. "