Hitler, Stalin and I: An Oral History by Heda Margolius Kovály

Author:Heda Margolius Kovály [Kovály, Heda Margolius]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780997818499
Publisher: DoppelHouse Press
Published: 2018-01-19T05:00:00+00:00

Liberating Russian soldiers shake the hands of residents after driving the Germans out of Prague, 1945.

Courtesy Česká televize.

In the morning the announcer called me and said: “You know, we didn’t find your father.” Later it turned out that it was another, younger man, who had the same name. “But a Rudolf Margolius from Garmisch-Partenkirchen got in touch and was asking if you were Heda.” I said: “My God …” And he said: “All right, we’ll broadcast tonight, and I’ll let him know that you’re here in Prague.” In the evening I sat at home by the radio all excited telling myself: “My God, what if it’s really Rudolf?” The man announced: “We thank Rudolf Margolius for his message,” because Rudolf had sent a message about the Garmisch-Partenkirchen refugee camp for displaced persons.

Rudolf had been interned in Dachau, and when the war ended they opened the gates, marched the prisoners out, and while being shot at Rudolf and a friend escaped into a trench and then ran over to the Americans. When they learned that Rudolf could speak several languages they made him a leader of the refugee camp based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for prisoners not only from the former concentration camps but all other displaced people who were trying to get repatriated. Rudolf’s task was to look after those people, organize them, feed them, get them cleaned up and arrange their transport home. Everything was in chaos and destroyed; the war had just ended.

Rudolf was also listening to the radio that evening: “We thank Rudolf Margolius for his message about the Garmisch-Partenkirchen refugee camp situation and wish to let him know that his wife Heda is in Prague.” And I said: “Great, Rudolf must be listening, that’s marvelous. He must be pleased.” However, later I learned that as soon as the announcer said: “We thank Rudolf Margolius,” there was a power outage in Garmisch, and Rudolf didn’t hear a word more.

Rudolf stayed there until the last person was sent home. At the beginning of June, a few weeks later, a group of Czechs left there on the last train to Prague. When the train arrived at the Prague railway station they all remained inside while Rudolf went to phone the broadcasting house. When he came out of the phone booth, the whole train shouted: “Was it Heda?” Rudolf nodded in confirmation. Only then did they all jump off and go home.

After the war, to return to Prague brought an avalanche of problems. No one had anywhere to live when they returned home, whether they were returnees from the camps, partisans or persecuted people, some of whom had been forced to work in Germany while in their absence their apartments were taken over by others.

When I heard from the broadcast that Rudolf was alive I immediately started to look for some lodgings because I had to vacate the Dejvice apartment when the former owners returned. First I lived with one or two friends, but it was uncomfortable for all. So I also slept in a hostel several times.

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