“After the release from Želiezovce prison camp I got on a train and deeply hoped to see my father after such a long time. My sister waited for me in Zvolen and together we went to Banská Štiavnica, when our father had his flat on the first floor. My sister didn´t even turn on the light, but only opened the door and let me in. I said: ʻHello, daddy, I am home!ʼ And my father replied to me with anger: ʻMarta, how many times I told you not to make fun of that!ʼ He said so because we had very similar voices with my sister, even our mom wasn´t able to recognize us by them. Then I turned the light on and said: ʻDaddy, it´s me!ʼ”
“Two strapping men in leather coats came to take me and said they needed to talk to me for half an hour. And of course, they took me from the apartment of my parents. At that time, my mother was already sentenced for high treason and espionage to twelve years of imprisonment. When they told me they would take me for half an hour, I announced to my father it was going to take 5 years instead. That image sent chills up mine and my father´s back; however, unfortunately, it really came true.”
“Well, this Mr. Koštiaľ escaped from the prison in February 1951. I don´t exactly remember, what day it was, but once I opened the door and this priest stood in front of me. He had few things left at our place from times he stayed with us before, which he took and asked me to walk him to Krížna Street. He wasn´t from Bratislava, he came from Spišská Kapitula. So I got dressed and accompanied him there. And that was the whole criminal offense I committed.”
Mária Matejčíková was born on March 26, 1931 in Banská Štiavnica. She graduated from the secondary school in 1948 and shortly after she began working at the Ministry of Technology in Bratislava. In 1951 the State Security arrested her mother since she provided hiding to a Catholic priest, who attempted to emigrate abroad. Mária was afraid of arresting as well and this she decided to leave her job at the Ministry. She found a job at the electro-assembly company. However, in 1952 she was put on remand, accused of high treason, and finally she was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment. She was released yet after serving half of her sentence. In the beginning of 1960s she got married to Alexander Matejčík, a former chairman of the Democratic Party Youth Organization and a former political prisoner. During the red-letter year 1968 as well as after the fall of the communist regime Mária was engaged in rehabilitations of political prisoners and other unjustly sentenced people.
V tieni totality (Politické perzekúcie na Slovensku v rokoch 1948 - 1953)
autor:
Mária Matejčíková
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