Josef Mikoláš

Josef Mikoláš was born on 30 August, 1929, in Hluboká nearby Kdyně. His father ran a convenience store in the village and Josef became a merchant as well. After 1948, father and son helped 10 people to cross the border and flee to the West. Their group became the victim of an agent provocateur called Markus and on 13 November, 1948, the members of the group were arrested. Ahead of the trial, for months they were held in custody in Klatovy and Prague. The trial took place on 7 July, 1949. For complicity in the crime of an unauthorized leaving of the territory of Czechoslovakia, Josef was sentenced to six months of prison, which he had already served on remand. His father was sentenced to 18 months in prison and jailed in Vykmanov nearby Ostrov. In October 1951, Josef enrolled in the auxiliary technical battalions (PTP ) and till November 1953, he worked in the “Mír” (Peace) mines in Karviná. After completing his military service, he worked in a slaughterhouse in Janovice nad Úhlavou, then as an accountant at a slaughterhouse in Domažlice. By the time he retired in 1991, he was the chief planning officer in a meat-processing company in Klatovy.

• More info