Marie Adlerová

* 1931

  • “After the war, we saw the women of Lidice and we realized what it had to be like for them to return to the village from the concentration camp to find only the graves of their husbands and sons there. The International Red Cross was still searching for many of the children at that time. The children had been taken away from their parents and sent to Germany for upbringing. The International Red Cross was looking for these children all over the world. Serving there as organizers during their arrival was a very touching experience for us Scouts.”

  • “I remember that we had been preparing for it, and then we raised the flag in front of the clubroom, sang the Scout anthem and the national anthem, and then one of the Scout officials... (…) I don’t remember it so precisely, but I know it was a great experience for us. One of the officials from Prague, I think, was present, and we took the oath. Unfortunately, we had to quit scouting afterwards. But scouting has remained with me all of my life. Small things, like for example that a Scout should do a good deed every day. I don’t know if it still applies today. I would often remember that, and when there was no other opportunity, I would at least smile at somebody or talk nicely to somebody. Throughout my life I felt that I was observing what I had promised back then when taking my Scout oath.”

  • “When we were going to school, they threatened us that if we did not participate in the May Parade, we would not be allowed to graduate. We were afraid. It was still a short time since the war ended, after all. We felt really grateful to our parents that they let us study and we were afraid what we would do then. Many people were being arrested and many people were emigrating. Some of our friends and schoolmates left the country. They had no chance to find a job here. When we started grammar school, they tried to make us join the socialist youth union instead of Scouts. But I did resist. I was not lured into that. Unfortunately scouting was no longer allowed and we couldn’t continue.

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    Kladno, 10.11.2011

    (audio)
    duration: 26:28
    media recorded in project A Century of Boy Scouts
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Even after the war, the spirit of scouting kept reminding us of our duty to help others.

Marie Adlerová
Marie Adlerová

Marie Adlerová, née Křesťanová, was born November 4, 1931 in Vrapice near Kladno, where she spent her childhood and experienced her first years of scouting. She participated in her fist summer camp in 1939 in Neratovice. The Scouts continued meeting in their clubroom for some time after the outbreak of the war in September 1939, but at the end of the year their activity was no longer allowed. She became involved in scouting immediately after the war. Among others, she and her troop participated in the organization of the return of Lidice women from the concentration camp to their village. Since she refused to join the socialist youth union, she did not receive a recommendation and was not allowed to study at a university. She thus began working in an office in the Pilsen region. Later she returned to her native Kladno. She has never ceased being a Scout, she continues to follow the principles of scouting and is keen to do something good every day.