A strange man cut my hair because I spoke German
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Erika Fuksová, née Seifertová, was born on June 26, 1934 in Jirkov. In 1941, her father Rudolf Seifert had to enlist, so she hardly remembers her father from her childhood. But he remembers his return after the end of World War II. The father had to work as a miner at the mine in Ervěnice. Because Czechoslovakia needed miners, the family was not deported. Mother Alžběta Seifertová worked at home as an embroiderer. Erika was German and therefore was not allowed to go to school for two years after the end of the war. Czech children coming to Jirkov laughed at her because she didn’t know much Czech. While she was speaking German to her friend, a strange man came and cut her hair as punishment. As a teenager, Erika volunteered at the Red Cross, which was based in their house. She developed a relationship with healthcare and was allowed to attend the two-year Secondary School of Healthcare in Chomutov. This was an exception among the Germans, the others had to go into heavy industry. While working at the hospital in Chomutov, she met her husband Miroslav, who was in Jirkov with the border guards as part of his basic military service. Erika later worked in a nursery and in a medical facility. Her husband was a member of the amateur theatre and played the trumpet. In 2022, she lived in Jirkov. We were able to record the witness thanks to the support of the city of Jirkov.
