Michal Slivka

Redactor: In the times before the nationalization – what kind of farm did you have? “I had horses, cows, bulls, heifers, sows... Then they did those buy-outs, so they confiscated my farms. Not only to me they did that but to many others. They wanted to destroy a man that way. And than there were the obligatory provisions. They wanted more and more. Intentionally they gave the land to me, they had orders to give me the worst land. So as I said, I could harvest only a little. I didn’t even have enough for feeding. According to the law, they should have given me an adequate land. But they had no respect to law. I wrote to them and nothing. That they should give me such land they confiscated from me... nothing. They had no respect – it was simply a dictatorship, totalitarianism...” Redactor: Why did they attempt so hard to get you to became part of the collective farm? Did you have a lot of property or what was the reason? “No, they saw that I had agricultural schools... I had always been working as a sick man. And I didn’t present myself. But they knew all about me. They said that when Slivka signs, the whole village would do so. That is what they wanted, to break me. When they saw that I didn’t give up, also the others held firm, those better, productive farmers. Those others farmers who signed were fooled and were angry that they promised them that they would be all well.” Redactor: When they attempted to get you into that collective, how did the others in the village behave to you? “Well at first they behaved well. They did the buy-out to about fifteen of them, took away their animals. But then when they broke a man, when he signed, it was their man already. So they broke him internally and then that man, that farmer, started to speak well of them. That is how it was and how it is. Even now you can hear that it was good times. That those were good times, during communism.”

“In 1970 my son was expelled from the university, from the fourth grade. It was initiated by Boh Berník, who was a head of the district here and the Party’s first secretary. He gave orders to universities here and there, I don’t even remember, and they fired him from the fourth year. And so they did with my daughter – they expelled her from the fourth year of economics. Several times, they did the buy-outs with me, confiscated my animals. Violently, they took them. They left me only horses. Then I earned something and bought other animals, so I was still trying... Well, then they saw, that it was no use with me. I didn’t even come to vote. They liquidated me, took my fields off me, because I was allegedly ill. But it was not so. I had to find a job and go work – imagine, I was 50 years old and had to start working once again.” Redactor: So where were you working? “Here in Tatrasvit, I found myself a somewhat easier job, as I was in bad shape – had a crooked spine and also mentally I was really down. I didn’t believe I would make it to year 2000.”

Redactor: How was it then when you refused to join the collective which was founded, so they still tried to get you in? “At first they did, and when they saw I won’t go they made up crimes on me. They accused me of alleged criminal offenses six times. An electricity column got displaced. Secret policemen came and said that it was my sabotage. They locked me up for 24 hours in Nová Ves, I was in shock. I don’t know why it happened.” Redactor: How did they treat you during confinement? “My head hurt, I couldn’t even eat. I was really in the end of my mental strengths. So they took me to a doctor. I remember the nurse shouting at the policemen, she was with me, as she saw such a done-up man. Now I am seeing those people around here in Spišská Nová Ves or Letanovce. If only they said one word – Slivka, forgive us. Nothing... So I don’t know. God, they probably didn’t know what they were doing. This was the worst, year 1980 came up and they destroyed my barn, the very natives! They brought in gypsies and they were stealing. My wife was crying at the stairs. Two policemen sprayed a dazing gas into her mouth. I was in a room before a cross thinking things over. Then, in the very year, they accused me of crime once more. I defended myself so they accused me. And the very same judges rehabilitated me in 1990 in Spišská Nová Ves. Then they accused me before the court – as always – for the sixth time of a criminal offense. I saw the civil prosecutor write into the accusation that I have a bad reputation in the village. So I stood up in the court and said: “I request a criminal prosecution of the prosecutor so that he dared to doubt my character, my honor! I have never been stealing or drinking in a pub with him.” He objected what dare I. So I stood up and said that once more. Well, they didn’t make out nothing of that. In the end I would like to say – for all that I remained poor in material, but I am very rich spiritually. I remained poor materially. Many told me that I should have adapted so that I had this and that. Well if I had to live once more, I’d do the same as I did. Not even a bit do I regret that I stood up to communism.”