The Diary of Petr Ginz, 1941–1942 Read online

  In the evening I went for a walk. The water in the river is far below the normal level, so from the embankment you can see the stairs to the lower river bank, from the lower bank to the edge of the bulwark, and five steps of the ladder below.

  8. III. 1942 (Sunday)

  In the morning I was at home; in the afternoon I went for a walk and to visit Daddy in the hospital.

  The doctor who looked after him now has pneumonia himself.

  The Japanese have seriously threatened Java.

  9. III. 1942 (Monday)

  In the morning at school, they told us our approximate results on the report card. I will probably get a B in music, a B (c) [in] maths and a B [in] geography.—In the afternoon at home.

  10. III. 1942 (Tuesday)

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at school.

  We are not allowed to travel by tram No. 1, because the most frequent disturbances between Jews and Germans go on there. It is possible that Jews will not be allowed to travel at all (even with identity cards).

  11. III. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school; they counted 750 casualties in Paris and 1,400 injured.—In the afternoon outside.

  12. III. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning I was in town; there is an announcement on the board in Politika in Wenceslav Square that Jews are not allowed to read newspapers. In the afternoon at school.

  13. III. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning at school; we received our report cards, in two languages of course, even our marks were written in Czech and in German. Except for a B in handwriting, maths, geography, and music, I have all A’s.

  In the afternoon with Daddy. I slipped in without the porter noticing and made it all the way to Daddy’s room, handed in the parcel, and had to quickly run away so the nurses wouldn’t find me there.

  Because it wasn’t visiting time.

  14. III. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning in town.

  In the afternoon on a walk with Popper. He and I are trying to make an element that will produce electricity, using a solution with blue vitriol (of copper) and a solution of bitter salt (with zinc).

  We failed, because the two solutions blended with each other.

  15. III. 1942 (Sunday)

  We received a note, saying that tomorrow at 9 o’clock the Sklenckas will arrive from Hradec.

  I visited Daddy in the hospital in the afternoon. He is feeling a bit better.

  16. III. 1942 (Monday)

  The Sklenckas arrived. Eva II was here in the afternoon. They slept over at our house (not Eva II, of course). Uncle spent a long time at the bank in the morning.

  In the afternoon I was outside.

  17. III. 1942 (Tuesday)

  Josef Svatopluk Machar died.

  In the morning I was at home and in town, in the afternoon at school.

  We were shooting paper balls even during lessons. I bought one coupon for the “Trigo” competition for 20 heller; you have to guess how to play the game Trigo and attach the coupon to the answer. Then you get all the coins that were chosen.

  18. III. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school.

  Daddy phoned to say that he is supposed to come home from the hospital at 3 o’clock this afternoon. Of course it has caused a big commotion. We could have burned the house down, because a hot piece of coal fell out of the stove, Aunt Bozka and Eva didn’t notice it, and some papers caught fire.—Aunt Herma broke her arm.

  19. III. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at school.

  20. III. 1942 (Friday)

  They arrested all the Americans who are Jews.

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon outside. As far as I know, there was loose ice floating on the river; I haven’t been able to get to the embankment, so I don’t know for sure.

  21. III. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at Popper’s. This time the two solutions didn’t blend like last time, but the element still didn’t work.

  In Maniny there was a huge collection of bells taken from churches.

  You could see forty-one bells, but around the bend there were more, small and enormous ones, so that there could have been eighty to a hundred of them. I once saw in Strossmayer place how they took it down from the tower.

  22. III. 1942 (Sunday)

  Uncle Milos also has to sweep snow, even though the bone membrane (periosteum) in his hand is inflamed. Uncle Slava has been doing it for eight weeks already and he has huge blisters and terribly cracked hands.

  In the morning at home; in the afternoon I started translating the story “Die Nacht auf dem Walfisch”26 by Gerstäckr.

  23. III. 1942 (Monday)

  Daddy was X-rayed at the Bernard.

  In the morning at school; in the afternoon at home.

  24. III. 1942 (Tuesday)

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at school.

  I also had an oral in natural history. I probably got an A, an A minus in the worst case.

  25. III. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon at home and in town.

  Daddy’s X-ray results (see 23.III.) were very satisfactory.

  Soon he will be able to go out for a short walk.

  He lost about 12 kg.—I have a permit to travel by tram for three weeks.

  26. III. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at school. I was tested in religion27 by Elisa Stein (1–2).

  27. III. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning in school. In the afternoon outdoors.

  Auntie Nepomericka is going to Theresienstadt.

  28. III. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning with Popper. Eva was at Grandma’s in the afternoon.

  I heard that already at 1:30 the gas supply was very weak (at two it is supposed to be stopped altogether) and at the Miloses there was no gas at all. We want to light our gas—and here it’s also gone! So we don’t know how to cook our dinner.

  In the afternoon with Popper, in Maniny there are still huge numbers of church bells: it is forbidden to take photos of them. They are gradually being removed. We received a flyer.28

  29. III. 1942 (Sunday)

  In the morning at home.—You can’t hear any bells ringing at all, because the Germans have confiscated them all; they will probably make cannons out of them. They left only the Zikmund on St. Vitus and that’s the only church bell in Prague now.

  In the afternoon in Troja. The Vltava is overflowing, but I still saw a ferry crossing it, loaded with about thirty people.

  It’s still pretty cold, but the sun is already shining nicely.

  30. III. 1942 (Monday)

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon outside.

  They were taking the bell out of Tyn Cathedral.

  31. III. 1942 (Tuesday)

  In the morning in town; in the afternoon at school, we had a maths test and German composition.

  1. IV. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school. Because it was April Fool’s Day, we wanted to trick the teacher Mr. Beinkoles with an exploding pencil, but our attempt failed and B. confiscated our pencil with capsules. That’s how our 1st of April turned out. In the afternoon outside.

  2. IV. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning in town.

  It is the first day of the Easter and at the same time the Pesach holidays.29

  I borrowed a book by Jules Verne, The Secret of the Deep Forest.

  Ota Fiser (the confectioner) has been moved out of Benesov, or not exactly from Benesov, because he was felling forest trees with some other Jews.

  He was sent to Dobris. They are also moving people out of Neveklov (Aryans, too); Germans will be arriving there.

  3. IV. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning at home and in town, in the afternoon outside.

  4. IV. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning on a walk with Popper, in
the afternoon at home.

  5. IV. 1942 (Sunday)

  With Auntie Anda in Maniny, across the ferry under the cliff under Bulovka.

  Auntie wanted to visit Vilma Tapferova, but she has already gone to Theresienstadt.

  The apartment was locked and covered with the stickers of “Treuhandstelle.”30

  6. IV. 1942 (Monday)

  In the morning at home, in the afternoon on an outing to Dablice.

  7. IV. 1942 (Tuesday)

  Ota Fiser arrived from Dobris, because he has been forced to move out, together with people from Neveklov.

  He has to go to Tabor to register. He spent the night at our place.

  8. IV. 1942 (Wednesday)

  I lost the diary and don’t remember what happened.

  Ota Fiser has left.

  9. IV. 1942 (Thursday)

  Ota Fiser came back from Tabor.

  He said he’ll be leaving for Theresienstadt in the beginning of May.

  10. IV. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon outside.

  11. IV. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning in town.

  In the afternoon with Popper in Maniny. There are at least two thousand bells there. They keep filling up the Maniny sewer.

  12. IV. 1942 (Sunday)

  I visited the Levituses, who gave me lots of small things.

  They have no fat whatsoever and Auntie Herma is complaining terribly.

  13. IV. 1942 (Monday)

  In the morning at school. They announced the new transport and it’s all names with Löv-, Löw-, Lev-, and so on. So we were worried about the Levituses, because I heard they are now taking mainly people with more property. I dropped by there in the afternoon, aunt was at the doctor’s to have her bandage taken off, they are not leaving.

  14. IV. 1942 (Tuesday)

  It is allowed to fill sausages with dog meat. The Blochs (people we know) had for a special roast the meat of a crow! Daddy visited Grandma for the first time since he became ill.

  Since yesterday the gas supply is back to normal.

  The Vaneks arrived—without uncle and Lidunka, because they have to work in the office. Verka came too—with little Eva Sidlova; she speaks quite well already and walks like a grown-up. She wears a little ponytail and loves to chat. She is always telling you something, first, that she is called Alkova (Alka is her doll’s name) and then that she is the aunt from Horice, and kisses you accordingly.

  15. IV. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school, we had a Machar-party, to which we invited other classes. It was a success.—Mancinka’s face is terribly swollen, you can’t recognize her. She met several acquaintances on the street and no one recognized her. I heard it’s from all those food substitutes.

  16. IV. 1942 (Thursday)

  Mummy’s swelling hasn’t gone down yet.

  In the morning from 9:30 to 11 at Hagibor. We exercised in shirts, that’s why we had to have the stars sewn onto them, too. So I had three stars on top of one another: on my overcoat, my coat, and my shirt.

  In the afternoon at school: a performance of [Erben’s] “Kytice” (“Bouquet”). Also wasn’t bad; better than that Machar.—The Vaneks left at 4:45.

  17. IV. 1942 (Friday)

  In the afternoon at school, our teacher Mr. Sommer is leaving with the transport for Theresienstadt and from our class Bärova and Rita Goldmannova. Then on Monday at 6 o’clock in the morning Uncle Slava and Uncle Milos are leaving to work on the motorway in Krivoklat. In the afternoon at home. Last night someone from the Community came hammering on our door again: transport! Of course, Daddy will appeal it right away.

  18. IV. 1942 (Saturday)

  The men who go to Krivoklat get paid 1,000 crowns a month and they are also allowed weekly home visits. Those from the last group have come back already and will go again.

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at home.

  Daddy was at the Community for a check-up.

  19. IV. 1942 (Sunday)

  Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, and many other Japanese cities were heavily bombed by the Americans.

  In the morning at home; in the afternoon we had a visit from the Miloses and from Grandma.

  20. IV. 1942 (Monday)

  At 6 o’oclock in the morning Uncles Slava and Milos left for Moriny near Karlstejn (not Krivoklat).—In the morning at home and in town (there was a throng of people in front of the Main—Wilson’s train station), in the afternoon as well. Hitler is fifty-three years old; there are flags and parades everywhere and his bust is in every shop window. Every building has to hang out a swastika flag, except for Jews, of course, who are not allowed this pleasure. It is strictly forbidden to them.

  In the afternoon with Daddy in Smichov. Afterward we went to say good-bye to Mr. Felix Lederer from Petrske Square. He is leaving tomorrow morning already for Theresienstadt. The Friedländers are supposed to go, too, even though Mr. Friedländer just had a stroke.

  21. IV. 1942 (Tuesday)

  Yesterday’s commotion in front of Wilson’s train station was a way of handing over the ambulance train by Hacha to Heydrich, as Adolf Hitler’s representative. Frank and many others were there, too.

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at school (the result of my maths composition: B/B). I was wearing only a coat and a massive downpour broke out. I got soaked to the bone and my shirt was all wet.

  The drain in front of our house was blocked, which created a big lake.

  And as I was running, I stepped right into it—tap, tap! Lucky it was in front of our house.

  22. IV. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon at home and with Popper. From our class Zinn and Stern are leaving. Baum (The Fat One) was supposed to go, but came back from the exhibition ground.

  23. IV. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning in town. Leaves are budding everywhere and grass has been green for a long time. In the afternoon at school.

  In the evening I broke a lamp by throwing a pillow.

  24. IV. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning at school. In the afternoon at home and outdoors with Daddy.

  25. IV. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning at Grandma’s. Uncles Slava and Milos came from work; it is miserable there: there is no water, so they have to bring it from far away. In the building, where there are about three hundred of them; there is a leak at the top and at the bottom and Uncle Milos caught a cold from it. And Slava, for a change, has a bandaged finger. They were smashing gravel and as they were loading it (the rocks) onto a cart, a clumsy man let go of it (the rock) too soon and Uncle’s hand got caught underneath it.

  Before they got there, Aryan workers were doing forty carts a day and now that the Jews are there they are doing forty as well. And then they say that with Jews and without [it’s] the same, while they’re lazy as hell themselves. They make the Jews remove the earth between the rocks and then, after half their job has been done by the Jews, they show off how many carts of gravel they brought and how many were brought by the Jews. Their leader is always threatening them (the Jews) that at first they will be corrected (?!), then reprimanded, and finally, if they refuse to work, they will be excluded.

  Dr. Bloch, who treated Daddy, is leaving for Theresienstadt.

  There have just been two transports one after another.

  26. IV. 1942 (Sunday)

  In the morning at home, in the afternoon on a walk.

  Early this morning before 1:30 the English were near Prague; there was an alarm. As I found out later (27. IV.), they were over Pilsen and dropped a few bombs there.

  27. IV. 1942 (Monday)

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon outside.

  Zinn from our class, who was supposed to leave with a transport, came back, because he was ill at the time.—Another alarm last night.

  28. IV. 1942 (Tuesday)

  In the morning in town.

  In the afternoon at school. Ivan Dusner from our c
lass is leaving for Theresienstadt.

  29. IV. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school; we will be making a barometer, which will always show the weather one day ahead.

  In Boys’ Handicrafts, I also handed in the exercise book covers that we started last lesson and finished at home. I got an A. Again there was an alarm last night.

  30. IV. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning in town, in the afternoon at school; during measuring class and especially maths (Mr. Lauder) there was a terrible bombardment. Fives were raining down on us.

  1. V. 1942 (Friday)

  In the morning at school, Miss Lauscherova is ill, so we’ve been having fewer classes for several days in a row.

  In the afternoon at home; Hansi was here and we played marbles. I lost.

  2. V. 1942 (Saturday)

  In the morning I went for a walk with Popper; there are over eight thousand numbered church bells in Maniny and many unnumbered ones.

  In the afternoon at home. The Hirsches (the shoemaker) are leaving (actually, they left a long time ago but I only just found out), with Margitka, the one who said that she will vomit here.

  3. V. 1942 (Sunday)

  In the morning at home, I was doing graphs and other homework.

  In the afternoon I was with Eva and Daddy in Maniny. It is now almost the only place where Jews can go for a walk, so it is full of them, even though about twenty thousand have already left Prague.

  4. V. 1942 (Monday)

  In the morning at school, in the afternoon at home.—There was an alarm again at night.

  5. V. 1942 (Tuesday)

  In the morning at home and outside; in the afternoon at school. I organized a lottery to help Zinn, who has tuberculosis. A ticket costs 50 hellers and you can win 5, 3, and 2 crowns.

  6. V. 1942 (Wednesday)

  In the morning at school. I was selling the lottery tickets; I sold all one hundred of them! In the afternoon I printed another 150 (then I realized that I had made a mistake in the numbering. I wrote: 120, 121, 122, 133, 135, 136, etc.—so I handed out only 140 + 100 tickets).

  I met up with Popper.

  7. V. 1942 (Thursday)

  In the morning I went to Hagibor for school physical education. It was terribly boring there for those who don’t play football. In the afternoon at school; I was selling lottery tickets again and hired Singer and Jelinek from IV.A for this purpose (that’s where Pavel is, too; he was also helping me sell tickets).