You all may like this. The dates may not be 'exact'. It is was written very soon after I heard her speak and is written in the order her story was told.
Trude was arrested and placed in a concentration camp for 18 months around 1943 or 1944.
She was 28 when she was incarcerated. She was freed by the Russians in 1945.
She came to America from Czechoslovakia in 1952 with her daughter, but not her husband. She
came aboard the Queen Elizabeth. It took 5 years for her to be able to emigrate. Just being on
the waiting list was not enough, it was necessary to be from a country whose borders were open.
Her husband could not come with her as the borders of Austria were not open at the time. If his
borders had been open, and his name had come up on a list, then the whole family could have
gone with him, but it was her borders that opened first and she was not allowed to bring him, only
their daughter. The offer to leave was given to her and she was told that if she accepted that she
should not come whining to the man who had signed her papers that she needed her husband to
be with her. The family got together and decided that she would go. If for any reason her
husband needed to move/escape/etc it would be easier for him as a man without a family. She
signed the papers.
She had to have a sponsor. Her father had two brothers. One had emigrated in the early 1900’s
to America and one shortly before that time, to Mexico. A member of her uncle’s family in
Cincinnati, Ohio sponsored her. She did not know them. When she arrived she was met in New
York and they spent the night in the Waldorf-Astoria about three floors up :) She could not
believe the luxury.
Her emigration then, was not like it is today. Then, they essentially brought the clothes on their
back; what they could carry in one suitcase and no money except for $10.00. She and her 5 year
old daughter arrived in the states with $20.00. Each was allowed to bring only the $10.00
they were given. All other possessions and money were left behind.
She showed us the papers that she was given to study to become a citizen. They were the actual
study papers she had and later had been enclosed in a plastic to protect them. There were
questions there that many college graduates can not answer today, let alone high school
students. On the back of one of the sheets she had written her early 'budget' to exist. Meager.
Her father, mother and other relatives had been shot. Her father was a very prosperous business
man. The Nazis wanted his factory and he said 'no'. The Nazis came to their house and killed
them. Trude and her husband lived in an apartment away from her parents and they were not
harmed. She went into mourning with the shock of it and began wearing nothing but black and
was not eating. About three months later a friend of her mother's came to visit her and told her
that her mother would not like what she saw. Trude was dressed in black and was still barely
eating and looked horrible. At that point she (Trude) decided to change. She realized that one
cannot move forward if one is looking back. She began to look forward and from there on
adhered to that principle. (Looking forward)
When she was arrested and sent to the concentration camp she and others were transported in
railway box cars. The room she lived in was about the size of a classroom with row upon row of
bunk beds built up the wall stacked five or six high. She wanted a bed at the top so that she
would not have to look at anyone. Whenever anyone complained she would tell them to stop.
That they could not survive with that attitude. That yesterday was yesterday and today was
different. Now their job was to survive and go on. She always put on her make-up. Every day
she made it a point to put on make-up and to bathe. They had a pump with cold water outside
the building and she and some of her friends would go out and bathe, even in winter. One would
pump and another would bathe.
Her job while in the camp was stripping asbestos. Her husband was in a different concentration
camp. His job was laying railroad track.
She had a college degree in business which as a woman would be unusual and at that time very
unusual. As she said later... she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and had to learn to
spit it out.
When she came to America she had to get a job. She had to walk to find a job. Somewhere in
Cincinnati she had an interview for a position fitting her skills. What with the walking and the time
she had to spend with her daughter, the woman who interviewed her told her she could not make
any money. She would only be able to work about four hours. She took compassion on her and
told her to get a job as a waitress. Trude laughed as she told us. In her country and in her family
with her degree it would be an unthinkable job. She did not look back. She found a job as a
waitress. She started by serving coffee and worked for years in a department store here in the
area. It was in the days when one went to a fine department store to have a lovely lunch or a
breakfast or buy something from a bakery. Not a McDonalds. By the time she retired from there
she was manager of all the different food areas.
She came to this country around January not knowing when her husband, Maurice, would follow.
It could be months or years. As it turned out Austria’s borders opened and he came
approximately 9 months later near Christmas.
Her husband went to work for a medical/health care facility of some kind. His job was in billing.
He could barely speak English. Some time after he had been there the company received a call
from Blue Cross, Blue Shield and the representative of the company where he was working
immediately said that the man who was doing that work (billing) was not able to speak English
well and began defending the company against what he thought was a complaint. Instead of a
complaint they told the company that the person who was doing the billing had made many
improvements.
Maurice was making $37.50 a week and walking to work. He had asked for a raise and the
company told him no that they couldn't afford to give him a raise. When the Blue Cross
representative finally spoke to Maurice, they offered him a position for $50.00. He took it and
was with Blue Cross, Blue Shield until he retired.
Maurice passed away around 70 years and Trude is a vibrant, healthy bright woman in her 90's.
These are the principles which she decided to live by.
Love one's self.
Always be positive.
Don't look back.
Always be thankful.
Love one another.
Give.. always do something for someone else.
She talked about being in the camps. About how she had hated the Nazis and how she decided
not to hate. That hate kills. She was raised Catholic by-the-way. She decided that hating
destroyed the one hating. She always thought while in the concentration camp that it was the
Germans fault; that they did this to all of these people. Then she was released.
There was a revolution going on at the time in Czechoslovakia. Czechs were killing Czechs. She
saw people hanging upside down from light posts. She saw people running in the streets and if
they fell they were shot dead. She said not to ever be mistaken. It is not one nationality. It is all
nationalities. One can hate another of the same nationality. That is why it is Always important to
vote. Always important to know what is going on in your country and to always vote for someone
whom you believe is going to do the right thing. She addressed the young people particularly at
that point. There were young and old in the audience. I was fortunate as I got to sit right across
from her and just listen and smile and focus my whole attention on her except for the times there
was commentary from the audience.
Her uncle was killed because he had a gun collection. All people were to hand over their
weapons if they owned them. He did not and a sympathizer told on him and he was shot.
She talked about how money was unimportant except for living and doing things for others.
Several times even before the Nazis came for them they were called and told their money was
worthless and they went to the bank to get new currency. She talked about always being able to
survive if you have the will to survive and do well.
She said when the Nazis came and started interning and killing that first they took the
homosexuals, then the communists then the Jews, then the gypsies. She said anyone without
blue eyes was looked for... she laughed... because of course her eyes are not blue.
She was able to write to her husband and he to her even though they were in different camps.
Occasionally she would receive packages from outside. She said she always shared what was in
them. It was giving. She could not emphasize enough, the giving.
Her friend, Sue, who is nearer our daughter's age and sat next to her said that even today Trude
tries to give to or do something for someone at least three times a day... even if it is holding an
umbrella over a neighbor's head while it is raining.
Sue said that Trude had given her the Gift of Perspective. She said that she would complain
sometimes to Trude and Trude would just put up her hand. She wouldn't listen. An example was
that she would complain about her husband working long hours.. Trude would say... well you
could have married a 95 year old... he wouldn't be working. Sue said she always considered
herself a very positive person (and if you saw her, you would know that this was true, she was
vibrant), but she said she found out she was not near as positive as was Trude.
As I sat across from Trude... I thought... I would like to know her... there was no age difference...
it wasn't an 'age' matter... this person could meet any age and be a friend to anyone at any age.
Sue said also, Trude, not having any extended family of her own, over the years she and
Maurice had not only raised their daughter and seen her grandchildren and great grandchildren
(she has four) develop and get college degrees, but that they had 'made' family. That other
people who had no one, or few nearby relatives became relatives and they all celebrated and
helped each other and were there for each other.
Trude said that if she had continued to look back that she would never have had what she has
now. She would not have her husband, children, family and friends... she would not now be
living in a lovely neighborhood ... she now has no money only social security yet she is well
taken care of and lives with her daughter.
She says God gave her good hands and good health... (remember the asbestos)... she knits and
crochets and makes jewelry and gives it all away... when she goes to her room the family says
she is going to her 'sweat shop' where she works for others.
She says that the most important thing is to love yourself... Love yourself...Love others and Give
and be positive and be Thankful... that the money is useful, but what are you going to do with a
bank full of money anyway when you are 90 (+).... what you will have are relationships...
Afterwards, she came over to speak to me. I had seen her identification picture that was passed
around. It wasn't a passport or a visa... it was a Czechoslovakian card with her picture verifying
that she had been a prisoner of war in the concentration camps. She was a beautiful woman. But
nothing compared to the beauty that pours from her now... Vitality blooms.. she is ageless.
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