Helen Lang - February 23, 1982
Start of War
Do you remember if the Czechs, uh, worked with the Germans or was it just the Hungarians who worked with--did any Czechs cooperate with the Germans?
There was no Czechs in our town. When the, when the Hungarians came over they fled.
They all left.
They all left. They didn't want to stay there. Oh, they all fled. Of course.
I see. Where were you...
Do you mind if I smoke?
No.
You know, when you asked for me talk like this, I get a little bit wind up.
Do you um, remember where you were--what you were doing when the war started--when the Hungarians first came?
Where I was...
Were you at home? Were you in the streets?
I was at home. Oh, I was watching the--everybody was watching from the houses--from the windows--the way they walking in--the Hungarians. The Czech went away, the Czech are leave, the Czech people--I told you, they all went out. None of them remained there. They knew already if they going to stay there they're going to kill--they left everything there--the Czech people--whatever they could, they went away.
Was there any talk about fighting the Hungarians?
They did. They did. The Czech and the, you know, there was a certain uh, uh, oh how do you call it--you know, like the Czech were here and the Hungarian over here. How you--the border...
Mm-hm.
...see, the border. They, they had some fights, but uh, the Czech never succeeded. Never. Even they used tanks and everything. Nothing happened.
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