Unemployment was increasing especially in Germany unemployment was very high. The statistic in 1931 at that time was 15,000,000 unemployed from a population of 80,000,000. The N.S.D.A.P., the so called Hitler followers were becoming stronger, which was very noticeable by us in Czechoslovakia. In Czechoslovakia the national Germans (Nazi's) wanted their Fuehrer (leader) Henlein to be the rooster in the basket. 1932 they came into power or better said they took power with 40%. Murder and manslaughter broke out in Germany. At that time there were many who screamed out and said, "We want to go home to our Reich", though we had nothing what so ever in common with Germany. In Germany the military machinery started moving into high gear, and through this the unemployment disappear. The people did not visually see what really was being played. The Saar and Ruhr (industrial Area of Germany) were occupied areas. Hindenburg who was the leader at that time had to resign. Hitler took the power, and the little Hitler's from America who were giving large money donations were supported. The parliament building was set on fire and the communists were blamed and this out cry would get stronger by us in Czechoslovakia. Many of these criers fled to Germany. The Farmer Party and Business Party became the Henlein Partie. We were still the Social Democrats who stayed faithful to our Republic. I still see in my mind today on May 1 (labor day) the farmers and business people marching up into the city. In previous years they ignored May 1 and kept working on the fields, which was initially started by the Social Democrats. All of a sudden because the Nazi's were in power and wanted it, everyone was for Labor Day. The workers had their march in that morning and the Henleins did there march in the afternoon and there the thoughts were digested of going home to the Reich. All our warnings were blown away in the wind due to the fault of the Czech government. As long as President Masserig was in power everything was fine. Changing us to Czech did not go so fast. But when President Benesch came to power this change went quickly. Many of the German people lost there positions and were replaced by Czech people because they could not speak Czech. Our country was supposed to have 3 official languages. Czech, Slovak and German. By the establishment of the Republic there were thoughts that this would become something like a second Switzerland, though Minister Benesch hindered this. According to his plans he wanted to already get rid of the Germans in 1918 that were in the Sudeten area but did not get the vote from the other Czech leaders. The big powers were also against this. So it stayed with just one Czechoslovakia. I had a good life with my family and managed well when I became lead of the paper machines. The political situation peaked even more. We went in reserve and protected the Democratic Party when they had meetings. The Henlein Partie became stronger and louder.
In 1936 my son was born. Every once in a while we still had meeting with the
Nature friends. We had garden parties and field trips in the mountains. From work we went once a month after work the Herdsteinbaude (a pub or restaurant) and made a nice evening of it. In 1937 Austria was invaded through the Hitler hoarders. By us the situation peaked even more. We heard on the radios that the Sudeten Germans would catch the dogs off of the street and eat them, but this was just propaganda. The screaming would become even more, that the people wanted to go home the Reich Germany. With warnings we were laughed at and given the images of not telling the truth. England sent a man to check up on us, this man was Romaine. He was invited by Gehring to go hunting and barely seen anything, he only seen what they wanted him to. So the fate from England was gone. In 1938 the mobilization began, a lot of the Henlein followers fled to Germany and built a freikorps (free corporation). The situation looked very serious. A conference was called in Munich with England, France and Italy with Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler. To keep the peace between countries we (the Sudeten Germans) were sold to Hitler and the invasion of the Germans was won. Though we were prepared to fight we had to allow this. Shortly before our boss at the Paper factory had personally given his good byes.
My brother went as an Immigrant to Prague, from there via Poland to England, then afterwards to Canada, which we realized after the fact. Now the screamers were in the country. I still remember very well listening to the radio as we got the news about the agreement of the invasion, and all the countries, which wanted to help us disappearing one after another, and that we were required to listen. The evening before we still had a future. The town government was given over to the opposition Henlein, with tears in our eyes and a very heavy heart we said goodbye to our Republic. We knew that no nice times would be ahead of us. We had to get rid of our hatred and meanness. Some women and men became hyenas and couldn't scream enough. They wanted to see the streets plastered with our heads. The little Henleins behaved like hyenas. The greeting was no longer good morning or good day but Heil Hitler. We became automatically Germans citizens. In the house beside us I rented a room for the republican military, where we had a bit of our future together, this then became my own hanging. The evening before the invasion the troupes pulled the herds through the village and wanted to kill any people that oppose them. The screaming was unbearable. My house was smeared with red paint to indicate that a person of the opposition lived here. We had no choice but to go into a crawl because we seen what was coming and were correct with or prophesizing which we had done before. At work everything became turmoil, it was degrading for me because this is where they hit first. Many people carried two shoulders (were two faced) and just turned their jacket to the other side because they had 2 party books in their pocket, one for the Democratic Party and in the other the Henlein Nazi party. Actually the people who were doing this, are the ones I least expected. Already on the first day the houses were searched for weapons, this continued on throughout the night. Nothing was found. Everyday there was some reason why the Gestapo or Free Corporals were looking for me.
I meet the wife of a friend of mine and asked her if her husband was already back from the Czech army. She was worried about him. I said to her "It won't get that bad, he will come home in one piece" and also said "who knows what will all bloom because we will not go against having good times." Within ½ hour there were 2 Gestapo and 2 Free Corporals at our house and had me taken into custody because I was insulting the Nazi Party.
I was taken to the Town Command, where I was meanly beaten and insulted, I was the required to report for one week every hour and when that was over with the Gestapo the Corporals checked on me daily. I had no privacy. At work it was the same thing I couldn't speak to anyone. Even if it was my best friend, I could not trust him. I was also not permitted to be seen speaking with anyone. The people were in such a victory roll, that nothing seemed to be seen or heard on what was happening around them. Everything was shown from the Reich what was for the war and war preparation. In the air everything was let lose and on the ground we saw everything what the army owned. Hitler drove through the area of Sudeten and the cheer was massive. They came with Bavarian public kitchens and feed stew to the hungry people. During this time people invited the German soldiers into their homes for a meal. Every roast possible was set on the table.
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