Agi Rubin - December 19, 1984
Men Taken Away
What made him think that he could or should do that?
He had a very close friend who was a Czech, they City Hall says we have, uh they got it from political point of view. My father was a good Czech, and he wanted to remain with them. But it didn't work. That part was occupied by Hungarians also. And it still wasn't the worst. Our first time in 1943, 1942 when the men, the family strength was broken, when the men were taken away from their families. And any family there without the man's guidance [pause] is broken, their strength is gone. The women stayed home to tend the household and it wasn't strong enough. So when the Germans came in they had... we had no protection from no one, not physical or emotional because the man of the house was gone already. And I would say 80% were taken to forced labor camp.
So this in 1942, 43?
So my father was taken in 1942 and he would just come home sometimes for weekends where he was allowed to come home. So, it was a definite change in our life already.
How did your mother react?
Worried, constantly worried that my father should be all right, she was fixing packages and sending it with somebody so my father should be comfortable or she would go and visit whenever she could. Sometimes she was able to take us along too and my aunt moved in with us because her husband was also taken away so it was just my mother and my aunt that tended the housework.
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