I thought my father was a criminal
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Lenka Bártová, née Trutnovská, was born on the 14th of February 1948 in Dolní Jiřetín. When she was three years old her father was sentenced to life in prison for anti-state activity. Neither Lenka nor her siblings knew the true reason for their father’s arrest because he was never spoken about at home, probably to protect the children. They were effectively brought up by their grandmother, their mother had to work sixteen-hour shifts to make a living because due to her husband she had no right to help from the state. A political prisoner’s child, Lenka was only allowed to go to elementary school and then to a vocational school. However, her dream was to become a teacher and almost miraculously she was able to enrol in a secondary pedagogical school. When she was about eighteen years old her father was released from prison. She only saw him once because he was not capable of returning to his family following his prison experience. By that time he was already gravely ill and after a few months of freedom he passed away. Lenka Bártová spent most of her professional life as a principal at a kindergarten in Josefův Důl. She has retired and takes care of her grandchildren.
