Hedvika Bartschová

“Though brought us to Žulová on a hay-wagon. And from Žulová we went (with the other girls – ed.’s note) by a local passenger train to Dolní Lipová and there we transferred to an open train car. (The type which is used for transporting cattle. They made them get into the train and they transported them in those open train cars all the way to Olomouc). Yes, in an open car all the way to Olomouc. (You got soaked in rain there, too, you said.) Yes, and we were in a camp there, and in the morning they would give us a ‘black melta’ coffee substitute like in a prison, it was not a real coffee, and a piece of dry bread. Well, we spent a couple of days there and then I got sick. I had gastroenteritis and I ran a fever of 40°C. There was a doctor, and she was very kind. I was then lying in that hall. (Well, but later you eventually got to…) Yes, and I was there, and when I got better, I could walk too. And then we had to walk to the train station in Olomouc and they made us get into an open train car again. (To Přerov). And there was a thunderstorm at night and we got all wet... And we went to the camp in Přerov, and there were only bare wooden bunk beds. And we spent the night there. Then in the morning the weather got nice again and we had to stand outside in the yard and one woman came to me. And those people who were sitting behind desks there asked me if I was able to do any work in agriculture. And I said yes, and so they accepted me. And there was the farmer with two horses and he brought me home in a horse buggy. And he always spoke to me but I didn’t understand a single word.”