Július Kremský

* 1933

  • Wife of the witness: “Július had problems yet in Zvolen, as there were many of those who in one year managed to complete their high school studies along with the school leaving examination. Those were such influential communists, who reported on Július that he lured somebody´s wife and daughter to Christianity. They wanted to expel him from the school. His friend told him what was going on and Július left to Klenovec, since the report had come from Klenovec. Some gentleman wrote to school that his wife was taken away from him, and so on. Július found this man, a pure communist, and asked him: ʻDid you write a letter to my school about me, where you mentioned my name?ʼ He answered, he didn´t write anything anywhere. They explained him what was the matter and this man said: ʻI never wrote anything like this to anybody.ʼ - ʻAnd can you write a statement, some kind of confirmation of what you are saying is true?ʼ And he said he would write it. He was a wheelwright, making wheels, and he had such an old stamp, which he used along with his signature. Július took this and went to the dean's office declaring: ʻIt is not true what you had accused me of and I also the proof.ʼ They told him to present it. Július said: ʻI won´t show you anything. I will do so when the time comes.ʼ In the end he got a dean´s reprimand.”

  • Wife of the witness: “Every other month he was allowed to receive a package once and once accept a visit, too. One day his mom went to see him, such a common lady. A small motor train used to go from Levice to Veľký Dvor. She used to travel like this and a member of the counter-intelligence service also went by this train from Levice. She asked him something, and then he asked her where she was going. She said: ʻTo Želiezovce.ʼ - ʻAnd where exactly?ʼ - ʻTo Veľký Dvor.ʼ - ʻAnd why are you going there?ʼ - ʻI have a son there.ʼ - ʻAnd what did he do?ʼ And his mom kindled. ʻThe thing is he did nothing wrong. He taught young people how to live. Not to live immorally, but to love God and their neighbours.ʼ The man replied: ʻWell, I am going to be present at your visit.ʼ When she finally met her son she told him: ʻI met one man who told me to be present at our conversation, so we shall be able to talk together.ʼ At that moment the member of the counter-intelligence appeared and the mom said: ʻSee, that´s him.ʼ Július responded to that: ʻWoe betide me!ʼ However, the man told them: ʻYou may speak about anything you want. I shall be sitting nearby.ʼ But he covered himself by big newspaper and apparently he didn´t even listen to them.”

  • Full recordings
  • 1

    Bratislava, 08.03.2016

    (audio)
    duration: 01:25:08
    media recorded in project Stories of the 20th century
Full recordings are available only for logged users.

God took care of me

Július KREMSKÝ - foto dobové.JPG (historic)
Július Kremský

Július Kremský was born on January 24, 1933 in the village of Ľuboreč, in Lučenec district. He studied at the grammar school in Lučenec and in 1955 he graduated from the University of Forestry and Wood Technology in Zvolen. Here he gained a degree of forest engineer. Yet during his university studies he had various problems because of his active religious life. He was actively engaged in the local Baptist Church in Lučenec, where he led a choir. After the university he went through several professions in different Slovak regions and in 1958 he returned back to Lučenec. Here he developed his religious activity and since 1960 he yearly, organized Christian summer camps precisely for youth. The main program of the camps included studying and explaining the Bible. These Július´s activities attracted the attention of the State Security, which tried to cancel them completely. However, when he didn´t yield to their intimidation, after several months of investigation he was in 1966 accused of committing a crime of obstructing the supervision of churches and religious societies under § 178 of the Penal Code. On June 17, 1966 there was a trial held at the District Court in Lučenec, where Július was sentenced under § 178 of the Penal Code to 8 months of unconditional imprisonment. He served his sentence in correctional institute in Veľký Dvor, near Želiezovce. After his release from the prison he married his fiancée Terézia. In 1971 they moved from Lučenec to Liptov. When Július was after ten years dismissed from his work, the couple along with their four children moved to Bratislava.