Alena Jehnová

"My first memory is that I had some childhood illness, I don't know if it was mumps or a kind of rash, and because I normally slept in the same room with my brother, they moved my bed into the kitchen, and I was sleeping in the kitchen. In those days everything had to be blacked out, you couldn't let the light out. Around four o'clock someone was ringing the bell repeatedly. My father ran to open the door and Mr. Měšťan came to us. I think Mr. Měšt'an was the director of the brewery, and he came to tell us that two people had been taken away by the Gestapo during the night. And because my father was the executive director, he came to tell my father to get rid of papers, because he had a lot of notes and things. Although my mother said afterwards that it was quite imprudent. It was dark everywhere, there was a blackout, and suddenly sparks were flying out of our chimney as all these papers were being burned. I remember that, and I would like to say first that Mr. Měšt'an was also arrested by the Gestapo at the end of the war, and because he was afraid of the torture which he wouldn´t be able to endure, he committed suicide." is that I had some childhood illness, I don't know if it was mumps or a kind of rash, and because I normally slept in the same room with my brother, they moved my bed into the kitchen, and I was sleeping in the kitchen. In those days everything had to be blacked out, you couldn't let the light out. Around four o'clock [a.m.] someone was ringing the bell repeatedly. My father ran to open the door and Mr. Měšťan came in. I think Mr. Měšt'an was the director of the brewery, and he came to tell us that two people had been taken away by the Gestapo during the night. And because my father was the executive director, he [Mr. Měšťan] came to tell my father to get rid of papers, because he had a lot of notes and things. Although my mum said afterwards that it was quite imprudent. It was dark everywhere, there was a blackout, and suddenly sparks were flying out of our chimney as all these papers were being burned. I remember it, and I would like to say first that Mr. Měšt'an was also arrested by the Gestapo at the end of the war, and because he was afraid of the torture which he wouldn´t be able to endure, he committed suicide."