Echoes from the Jáchymov mines
Barbora, formerly known as Vršek (Hilltop)
penal labor camp · Vršek, 362 51 Jáchymov, Czech Republic
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Motion Is the Basic Law of Creation

Available in: English | Česky

Zdeněk Křivka was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his activities in an anticommunist resistance group. He successively passed through seven labor camps in the Jáchymov area, including the worst one called Barbora, where he was imprisoned for two and a half years beginning in November 1952. There, the guard named Kulhánek became his nightmare. “I remember my time in the Barbora camp the most, because of the screw Kulhánek. I did not watch my mouth, and Kulhánek somehow got the wind of it. One day during the afternoon shift, two guards told me that I should follow them. I realized that something was wrong. They took me to the camp, to the headquarters barrack. There they stripped me naked and left me standing in the hall for about an hour. The temperature was around four or five degrees centigrade. Finally, Kulhánek appeared in the door of one of the offices, told me to get dressed and go in. At first he just shouted at me, but then he ordered me to change clothes. I was still in my working dress. At that moment I realized that I was heading to a coercion unit,” Křivka recalled. Kulhánek punished Křivka repeatedly by placing him into the coercion unit. Located in the mountain area with freezing temperatures, this meant life threatening conditions. The coercion unit comprised a concrete building with three cells, inside of which hung wooden plank beds without mattresses. “I had been there before and I knew that it was going to be really cold in there, so I decided to take my towel. That was forbidden of course. When Kulhánek called me and saw the towel, he roared as a bull, caught me by the towel and started to drag me around the room. Then he repeatedly smashed my head against the wall. Finally, he locked me up in that hole where I spent about a week. It was minus 25 or 30 degrees centigrade outside, and, naturally, there was no heating in the coercion cell. Through a small window snow fell in. These were really life threatening conditions. You have to do everything to keep moving. Motion is the basic law of creation,” remembered Křivka.

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Zdeněk Křivka

Zdeněk Křivka

Zdeněk Křivka was born to Czech parents on February 20, 1927, in Spišská Nová Ves in Slovakia. After the Slovakian proclamation of independence in 1938, the whole family left Slovakia and moved to Brno. During the Second World War, Křivka was called to forced labor in the Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia. After the communist putsch in February 1948, Křivka joined an anticommunist resistance group led by his uncle Petr Křivka. Unfortunately the whole group was betrayed by the agent František Janků and completely dispersed in August 1949. Among the detainees were Křivka's brother, father, and uncle. After one year long interrogation, Zdeněk Křivka was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment, (his brother to 20 and father to 15 years). Uncle Peter was sentenced to a capital punishment for his activities and hanged on 21. 7. 1951. During the next ten years Zdeněk Křivka passed through seven labor camps and the Leopoldov prison. From November 1952 he had been detained for two and a half years in one of the worst labor camps, called Barbora. There he was systematically persecuted by the guard Kulhánek, who repeatedly punished Křivka by putting him into the coercion unit. In the mountain area 1,000 meters above the sea level, with winter freezing temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees centigrade below zero, this meant life threatening conditions. Křivka had to wait for his release until May 10, 1960 when he was pardoned under a broad amnesty. Till his retirement he worked manually. For eight years he drew water in woods, and later he worked as a warehouseman for a railway company.

Barbora, formerly known as Vršek (Hilltop)

Available in: English | Česky

The town of Jáchymov was gradually surrounded by more and more labor camps for the so-called re-education of convicted persons. Barbora was one of the larger labor camps in the area, and it was home to very tough weather conditions. According to the memories of the inmates, snow covered the location four months out of twelve and the rest of the year it was chilly. The wind would blow cold, turning icy in the winter. Because of this tough climate and the cruelty of the warders, this labor camp was ranked among the worst of its kind. Barbora Mine Shaft, the prisoners’ workplace, claimed a number of casualties. Experts say this was caused by unsuitable geological conditions for mining in this area.

Barbora, formerly known as Vršek (Hilltop)

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Motion Is the Basic Law of Creation

Motion Is the Basic Law of Creation

Zdeněk Křivka
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