“All I can tell you about Jews is that they knew the Germans will go against them and there will be a pogrom. Many Jews used to come to visit us as the rich ones had their fur coats tailored and they also asked our dad: ‚What do you think is going to happen? We will probably go to Siberia for some hard labour. You know what Mr. Kučera, make us some sturdy hand gloves so that we can lift the tools all right over there in the winter land…‘ So my dad was sewing fur gloves for them… But then the Jews were ready for transportation and their luggage was packed… They could not take a tram, only a single platform… So imagine an empty tram and just a single platform with all the people crowding they could hardly breathe.“
“We were looking for a president. And there was the judge, a doctor, Emil Hácha. But he tried to help us an awful lot. First, a Czech, who actually wanted to take the post, as no one was interested as they were aware of the fact that negotiating with Hitler is worthless and simply one-sided. So Hácha too it as he was the judge by profession… He had no family and that was good for him too, as no one could threaten him with murdering the relatives… And he had to act and sign the protectorate back then.“
“There was a bistro up in the very top. And it was interesting, that he started the bistro in the manner that I went there with my mum and we got a piece of paper with all sorts of things listed on it. And my mum said: ‚Well you choose something.‘ I celebrated my name day or something. So I went to get a sweet candy and she punched it with tweezers and there was the price next to it. She gave me the candy and I did not have to pay. So he began here with the stuff we did not know, as you had to give a tip in the restaurant as the waiter was waiting for you and so on, so that was too high a class… We could choose what we wanted, just pay and leave… We usually went there at Easter, and mum always let me buy shoes. My feet were growing fast… Back then the waiters were great; although I was just a small girl, he talked to me with an informal tone, and helped me put on the shoe… They were very humble and considered the customer very highly.“
Jaroslava Procházková, née Kučerová, was born on 10th October 1927 in Řečkovice near Brno. Her father was a furrier and a cap-maker. During World War II he joined the Resistance when he allowed the “troublesome persons” to stay in his house. These were people who escaped from Prague to live abroad. In 1944 the house was invaded by members of the Gestapo and Jaroslava’s father was arrested and locked up in Kounicovy koleje. Jaroslava had to go through a hearing, too: they asked questions about her boyfriend Vladimír Krejčí. Krejčí was sent to Flossenbürg concentration camp and later died on a death march. Jaroslava graduated at the pedagogical institute and as a teacher she was assigned to Mikulov area. She has taught at several other locations after that. She is the mother of five children.
