“I live, thanks to the courage of my mom”

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Mrs. Alice Grusová, née Knappová, was born on the 25th of May, 1941 in Prague to Marta and Alexandr Knapp. Both her parents were Jews who were originally from southern Slovakia, decided to flee the Protectorate with their one-year-old daughter in June 1942. During their train journey, while they were at the railway station in Pardubice, a raid accompanied by a document check took place and in the ensuing chaos. Alice’s mother placed the baby on a bench near the station. Both parents were arrested, interned in the ‘Small Fortress’ in Terezín, and later deported to Auschwitz where they perished in September 1942 and January 1943, respectively. Little Alice was taken to an orphanage where she spent about half a year. On December 22, 1942, she and others from the orphanage were deported to Terezín. She survived to witness the liberation there in May 1945. Her mother’s sister, Edita Schwitzerová, began taking care of her and she took little Alice with her to Lučenec and later to Levice. After Edita’s planned emigration to Palestine in 1947, the girl was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Klíma. Alice studied at nursing school, married in 1962 and with her husband, raised three sons. Mrs. Alice Grusová worked as a hospital head nurse, now, she is retired and lives in Prague with her husband.