The Diary of Petr Ginz, 1941–1942 Read online

  7. XII. 1941 (Sunday)

  In the morning at home. The Mautners, now the entire family except for Karl, who is in Lipa, and Egon, who is their nephew, are leaving for Theresienstadt to join Mr. Mautner. Mrs. Mautnerova has been crying a lot; she wants to take Egon along with her. I was at their flat and they gave me all sorts of small things.

  8. XII. 1941 (Monday)

  In the morning at school. Mr. David has only just managed to read that poem (see 28.XI.) and publicly thanked me for it.

  I had gym. I was at home in the afternoon.

  Japan has officially declared war against the United States of North America.

  9. XII. 1941 (Tuesday)

  In the morning I did my homework. The Japanese attacked Singapore.

  School in the afternoon.

  When, as usual, I walked home from school with Bardach, on Vezenska Street in front of a pub there was a “green anton” (i.e., a van for prisoners) and in front of it stood a line of policemen across the pavement. The Gestapo men then chased some people out of the pub (about eight of them), directly into the “green anton,” which they then locked and drove away. I heard it has to do with the geese and chickens displayed in the pub.

  10. XII. 1941 (Wednesday)

  In the morning I was in school, in the afternoon shopping.

  In the evening Eva and I went to say good-bye to Mrs. Mautner and Egon, who volunteered to go to Theresienstadt. They are already leaving tomorrow morning.

  We received a nice goose from Hradec, weighing seven kilo (3 kg of lard, 320 g livers).

  11. XII. 1941 (Thursday)

  The Mautners left in the morning, everyone was crying, they went away like galley-slaves with a number on their coats. Workers from the community (the Jewish religious) carried their luggage.

  Karel was supposed to arrive from Lipa, but so far hasn’t come.

  Mrs. Mautnerova, crying hard, asked us to give him her regards. The apartment keys have to be handed in to the Germans.

  Mrs. Mautnerova was having crying attacks.

  The hanging Stefanik Bridge (now called the Leos Janacek Bridge) has been closed to pedestrians for quite some time.

  In the afternoon at school. Germany declared war on America.

  South American states have joined in against Japan (already on Monday the 8th, I heard). Daddy was in the emergency clinic in the afternoon.

  12. XII. 1941 (Friday)

  In the morning at school. On the way I saw six moving vans, they were moving the equipment from Dusni synagogue; about twenty Jews in working clothes (among them Uncle Milos) were carrying furniture. We had to hand in Eva’s ski boots, because the Germans ordered it.

  In the afternoon at home. In the evening Daddy was with the emergency service, see 13. XII. 1941.

  13. XII. 1941 (Saturday)

  Spent the morning with Popper. I bought two books from him (one small German one, the other one Little Lord). Karel Mautner arrived from Lipa, but he will have to leave again soon. He got stronger there.

  In the afternoon at Grandma’s, I received a hat and several clay coins. Daddy had overnight duty at the emergency service at the police office, from seven in the evening until a quarter to seven, same as on Friday.

  14. XII. 1941 (Sunday)

  It is the first day of Chanukah,20 so I went to see the performance of the parallel class (IV. C). The teacher, Mr. Glanzberg, played the violin; there was singing and theatre. I was invited as class representative of IV. B and I brought a gift for their class representative, Petr Heim, a Young Reader calendar. There were about two hundred gifts that children gave one another (two full laundry baskets). In the evening Daddy went again to the overnight emergency service, in case the police needed something. But so far nothing like that happened, so Daddy sleeps there. He is disturbed by old men playing cards there.

  After the school performance Slavek Stein, who hasn’t visited us in a long time, walked me home. Afterward I walked him home. On the way we found out that (so they say) people get slapped (Jews, of course), so we tried to hide our stars. Daddy was with the emergency service again, a Jew sang beautifully there, they said he performed in Holland and England as a professional singer.

  I heard Jews didn’t just get slapped, but terribly beaten up, and some had their entire faces broken by the Vlajkari (Translator’s note: name of Czech fascist movement).

  15. XII. 1941 (Monday)

  In the morning at school, many teachers were absent, because they had to write some documents overnight at the Jewish religious community.

  A walk in the afternoon. Eva performed in a Chanukah play, she got lots of presents, among them also books and a beautiful jewelry case. In the show she played a grandfather as the prophet Elijah.

  16. XII. 1941 (Tuesday)

  In the morning at home, around noon at Popper’s, where I again bought two books, The Treasures of Princess Fairy Tale and Andersen’s Fairy Tales.

  In the afternoon at school, our show, which was supposed to be today, has been moved to Friday.

  Today Daddy is not going to the emergency service because instead of ten they are always twelve people there.

  We have already lit three Chanukah candles.

  17. XII. 1941 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school, the schedule was again all mixed up, because some teachers had to write documents again at the community, all night.

  Some German minister arrived in Prague, there was a general street car traffic jam, in some places you couldn’t cross the road. This minister’s car had the license number ND1.

  In the afternoon I had a handicrafts workshop; we are making a bowl for stationery from masking tape. In the early evening I went for a walk near the slaughterhouse. Eva II and Aunt Anda were here.

  18. XII. 1941 (Thursday)

  In the morning I did my homework, in the afternoon I was at school.

  We didn’t have any classes at all, just a show. First only for small children, afterward for ourselves. In the children’s show there was a magician, a speech, a melodrama, and a game called “In the Toyshop at Midnight.” Everything turned out brilliantly; the children received gifts that we (IV. B) had brought them.

  Then we performed a show for ourselves; we read all sorts of Chanukah stories and played the accordion. Baum played (nicknamed Little Pasha, because of being fat), and he should be honoured for his talent, and so should Tomas Klein (nicknamed The Eucalyptus Sentence; during an oral exam he once called the Euclid sentence the Eucalyptus sentence), who played a magician and was excellent at it. I personally drew his moustache.

  At the end we exchanged presents; I gave Dusner an exploding pencil that blows up when you remove the tip (there is a cap inside).

  It was a big success; Miss Lauscherova saw it, too, and laughed very hard.

  I got a notebook, pencils, a boat, a geometry set, and lots of other things.

  Some time ago they introduced new crown coins (Protectorate ones).

  19. XII. 1941 (Friday)

  In the morning at school. It’s the last day of school, the Christmas break is about to begin. On the way to school my whole heel fell off, so I got to school late because I had to walk slowly. In the afternoon in town; at Orlicky (who sells glass) the workers dropped a big case with glass (about 2 m × 1.5 m × 20 cm) and broke it all. I was watching them carry it outside, but a Jew walked by and told me I’d better go away, because it’s a German shop and they could beat me up. It used to be called Ohrenstein & Orlicky (who is a German), but the Germans took the shop away from the Jew Ohrenstein and now it’s called just Orlicky.

  In the morning Mummy left for Hradec (Kralove) and left us unfortunately a not very precise description of what we should cook.

  But we’ll manage somehow!

  20. XII. 1941 (Saturday)

  In the morning I was at Popper’s, he’s got something wrong with his eyes again and can’t go out. (He had scarlet fever, without complications, but since then he’s had some sort of eye disease. He used to have a Jewish
doctor, but he left for Poland. He has to rub some yellow ointment into his eyes.) That’s why I was at his house; we played all kinds of games.

  Afterward I walked home, over Maniny under the slaughterhouse.

  In the afternoon I visited Grandma.

  21. XII. 1941 (Sunday)

  In the morning at home, in the afternoon at Grandma’s.

  We were supposed to meet with the Miloses, but they took a different route (I went to meet [them] to bring them to Grandma’s), so we missed each other, and afterward I raced all the way to Perstyn, but it was all in vain. Later we went looking for them in Maniny.

  We received a wire from Mummy, saying that she’s only coming back on Monday morning.

  22. XII. 1941 (Monday)

  In the morning at home. In the afternoon we started the preparations for Mancinka’s21 arrival. It’s Manci’s birthday, but we couldn’t get anything, so the presents were quite poor. A quilted hood (so-called tee-pee22), a brooch in an inlaid box, stockings, and a sewing kit. Afterward I wanted to cast Mummy’s initials in lead, but I didn’t succeed.

  I made a positive linoleum cut, placed it at the bottom of a bark case, and poured lead into it.

  The train was supposed to arrive at 7:15 P.M., but with a delay arrived only at 7:45.

  Manci was all upset, her fellow travellers were all thugs and criminals.

  Manci brought lots of sweets, pastries, and such. The goose, which M. also brought, weighs 6.60 kg.

  I received from Auntie Bozka23 a flannel shirt as a present; Eva got house slippers.

  Hitler is not doing well in Russia, so he removed a general and took his place himself.

  23. XII. 1941 (Tuesday)

  We just received an announcement from the Jewish Community that we have until December 31 to hand in mouth organs and other portable musical instruments, thermometers and such, cameras and accessories.

  In addition we have to register nonportable musical instruments.

  In the afternoon at Grandma’s.

  24. XII. 1941 (Wednesday)

  Daddy, Uncle Milos, and Uncle Slava received notification to be prepared to clear away snow when it falls. In the morning at Grandma’s, in the afternoon went for a walk with Popper and Eva.

  25. XII. 1941 (Thursday)

  In the morning at Grandma’s; in the afternoon the whole family went to Maniny.

  But there was an awful wind, so we had to come back.

  In the evening Lianka Kohner came to invite us to come to them at night, as they are lighting their Christmas tree. They have gone completely Aryan.

  Mr. Hula was there, the Kohners, the Fiskuses (newlyweds), and Mila Weisbach.

  It is snowing; we are all afraid that [the snow] will stay down and Daddy will have to shovel it. Last year he had to do this too, but this time at the Kbelsky airport. The water was very high and Daddy (he was there about 5×) caught a cold there.

  Jews will probably have to hand in sweaters again.

  26. XII. 1941 (Friday)

  In the morning at home, in the afternoon we all went to visit the Levituses, with whom we took a walk on the heath. There we met the Milos family (but without Pavel). They received a new apartment above the Museum; they are incredibly happy. Now they are still subletting (for half a year already) from the Fleischners at 22 Podskalska Street. They have only one room, where there is an office, kitchen, store room, and bedroom, all in one. They sleep mostly on the floor and it is very wretched.—On the way we stopped off at Grandma’s.

  27. XII. 1941 (Saturday)

  In the morning I went for a walk with Popper; it is very windy and cold.

  In the afternoon I stayed at home, but Mummy and Daddy went to Grandma’s and Eva went for a walk with Renata Hirschova. I had a long enough walk in the morning and aside from that we are expecting a goose from Hradec.

  Mummy is very worried about the goose going bad on the way here.

  28. XII. 1941 (Sunday)

  Finally—and we got two geese at once. Mummy sent one to the Levitus family, and gutted the second. It weighed 6.5 kg, it had 420 g of livers, 2¾ kg of lard, and the thighs weighed 870 g. Mummy is all happy about it.

  In the afternoon we all went for a walk. In the evening there was a big air attack; the sirens wailed like crazy for half an hour.

  29. XII. 1941 (Monday)

  Miss Lauscherova invited us (or rather ordered us) to Hagibor, so I went, but it was no fun for me; there was skating and I didn’t have any skates, so I just froze there. The whole area was filled with huge heaps of church benches, which had been brought from all the synagogues, and Jews working as forced laborers were breaking them up into firewood.

  As I walked home from Hagibor, I saw lots of announcements put up everywhere, that you have to hand in skis longer than 180 cm (even Aryans), but Jews have to give it away for free and Aryans will get a compensation. But they also have to report for snow-clearing duty (for now they just have to be prepared).—At home in the afternoon.

  30. XII. 1941 (Tuesday)

  In the morning at Grandma’s and in town.

  Grandma received a goose and is therefore very happy.

  In the afternoon I went for a walk.

  31. XII. 1941 (Wednesday)

  It is the last day of this year.

  In the morning I did my homework; in the afternoon I went for a walk with Popper. The Vltava is partly frozen. At five o’clock Grandma’s family came to visit and stayed until late at night. Afterward, when they left, Mummy and Daddy went next door to the Kohners and celebrated New Year’s Eve until one thirty at night, then they came back and went to sleep. But in the morning they slept in until 10 o’clock. (Actually, this belongs to the next day.)

  1. I. 1942 (Thursday)

  I made myself a nice violin from bark, but I don’t yet know how to play it, because so far it has only two (rubber) strings.

  In the morning I did my homework. Otherwise nothing special. Actually, a lot is happening, but it is not even visible. What is quite ordinary now would certainly cause upset in a normal time. For example, Jews don’t have fruit, geese, and any poultry, cheese, onions, garlic, and many other things. Tobacco ration cards are forbidden to prisoners, madmen, and Jews. They are not allowed to travel in the front section of trams, buses, trolleybuses; they are not allowed to take walks on riverbanks, etc., etc.

  2. I. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning I did my homework, in the afternoon went for a walk.

  3. I. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning at Popper’s; he has a runny nose again and is in bed.

  In the afternoon at Grandma’s. I heard that the Germans suddenly entered Jepa (a department store), closed it, and whoever was wearing warm galoshes had their identity cards taken away and the galoshes stamped, so that they will have to go and hand them in. Then they’ll get their identity cards back.

  They say that in Brno they were taking them away right there in the streets. So now everyone is afraid of it.

  Petr GINZ

  Today it’s clear to everyone

  who is a Jew and who’s an Aryan,

  because you’ll know Jews near and far

  by their black and yellow star.

  And Jews who are so demarcated

  must live according to the rules dictated:

  Always, after eight o’clock,

  be at home and click the lock;

  work only labouring with pick or hoe,

  and do not listen to the radio.

  You’re not allowed to own a mutt;

  barbers can’t give your hair a cut;

  a female Jew who once was rich

  can’t have a dog, even a bitch,

  she cannot send her kids to school

  must shop from three to five since that’s the rule.

  She can’t have bracelets, garlic, wine,

  or go to the theatre, out to dine;

  she can’t have cars or a gramophone,

  fur coats or skis or a telephone;

  she can’t eat
onions, pork, or cheese,

  have instruments, or matrices;

  she cannot own a clarinet

  or keep a canary for a pet,

  rent bicycles or barometers,

  have woollen socks or warm sweaters.

  And especially the outcast Jew

  must give up all habits he knew:

  he can’t buy clothes, can’t buy a shoe,

  since dressing well is not his due;

  he can’t have poultry, shaving soap,

  or jam or anything to smoke;

  can’t get a license, buy some gin,

  read magazines, a news bulletin,

  buy sweets or a machine to sew;

  to fields or shops he cannot go

  even to buy a single pair

  of winter woollen underwear,

  or a sardine or a ripe pear.

  And if this list is not complete

  there’s more, so you should be discreet;

  don’t buy a thing; accept defeat.

  Walk everywhere you want to go

  in rain or sleet or hail or snow.

  Don’t leave your house, don’t push a pram,

  don’t take a bus or train or tram;

  you’re not allowed on a fast train;

  don’t hail a taxi, or complain;

  no matter how thirsty you are

  you must not enter any bar;

  the riverbank is not for you,

  or a museum or park or zoo

  or swimming pool or stadium or

  post office or department store,

  or church, casino, or cathedral

  or any public urinal.

  And you be careful not to use

  main streets, and keep off avenues!

  And if you want to breathe some air

  go to God’s garden and walk there

  among the graves in the cemetery

  because no park to you is free.

  And if you are a clever Jew

  you’ll close off bank accounts and you