Helen Lang - February 23, 1982
Life in Munkacs
Okay, we'll, we'll come back and talk about that. So you were then in three different camps. Is that right?
Yes.
Can you tell me something about what life in Munkacs was like...
Before the war?
...before the war.
Before we were Hungarians? Before we were Ger...I mean Hungarians?
Yes, when you were still Czech.
You see, in 1938 we become Czech. We had it very good. It was a democratic uh, uh, state. It was--I know that people, I remember my parents used to say people who came visiting from America they said that this is a beautiful co...a little co...this is like, you could call it like little America. It was so nice.
How large was your family?
My family? Pare...five children. I have a, a sister, and I had three brothers, but now I have only two, because one brother uh, he died in concentration camp.
And the other two brothers?
They're here. One of 'em was in uh, Russia, in a prison. And uh, my sister was married at that time and her husband was in Russia in prison too, but she had a little baby so she lived with us. So...
And your parents.
And my parents, yes.
And they were lost during the war?
Yeah, they were killed in gas chamber.
Um, were there any grandparents, aunts, uncles?
Oh yes, I had, I had a grandfather. He was ninety-two years old and, and, and uh, they took him to concentration camp. He died there too--my grandmother and grandpa.
You--the uh, your extended family--your aunts, uncles...
Oh yes...
...cousins...
...of course.
...how large would you say?
How many?
Yeah.
Well, it, it came, you know, cousins and second cousins and aunts and uncles. Well, I can't exactly, you know, put the numbers on it, but uh, you know, come from a large family.
Um, and they all...
???
...live nearby?
Yes.
All in Munkacs?
Yeah, we, we lived all in Munkacs, yes.
In the same neighborhood, or...
Oh no, you know, scattered, scattered. But, as I say, Munkacs, you know, it was like a walking distance...
Yeah.
...all over where you went it was ???. It was a beautiful city.
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