My Train to Freedom
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A representative from the Czech Consulate in Sweden came to question all Czech citizens. He wore a surgical mask for protection, and when he heard that Liselott was from Roudnice he became very excited. “You are a Bächer from Roudnice?” he queried. “I don’t know you,” Liselott responded, “take off your mask, please.” He was the nephew of the manager of the Bächer factory and they knew each other. The official then asked her the same question he did of others, “Give me the names of three people whom you want me to notify about you.” The first name she gave was her husband, Pavel, second, two cousins in Sweden, and finally Eva Peček, another cousin living in America, in Scarsdale, New York.
While the hospital in Kalmar treated her very well, it was not equipped to offer the treatment she needed. Liselott transferred to Stockholm. She was in the care of a physician there who treated not only her physical needs but also her psychological and spiritual ones. As she gained strength he asked her, “Do you want to go to the theater, or a concert, a movie, out to supper?” Then he would take her where she wanted to go. Liselott’s total recovery took six months, during which she made arrangements to emigrate to America, settling in New York City with help from the Pečeks.
When Liselott concluded her story, often with tears in her eyes, Paul and I were tremendously moved by what we had just heard. The recounting had obviously been very emotional for Liselott and we sympathized with her pain—we understood why she had not shared her account with us before. In past conversations with us, Liselott had always spoken English, but during this interview she switched to Czech, obviously feeling more comfortable relating this story in our language. After she ended the interview, Paul and I thought she seemed relieved to have told her story at last, after saying no so many times.
The family celebrated Liselott’s centennial birthday a year before she died in 2004 at age 101.
APPENDIX 3: LETTER FROM NICHOLAS WINTON’S MOTHER, BARBARA, TO MY MOTHER, 1940
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I WISH TO thank several people whose assistance was invaluable for this book to see the light of day.
First of all, I cannot adequately express how grateful I am to have Paula Fisher as my beloved partner for over a decade. She contributed valuable input in the writing of this memoir and extended helpful suggestions, support, and encouragement to me throughout our mutual undertaking. I refer to her as my “personal editor,” but Paula went beyond what that term implies. Having a love of history, Paula was immediately fascinated by the story of my escape from wartime Czechoslovakia; and we spent many hours, over months, working on the manuscript for my book. Most of all Paula became a sounding board for ideas and helped me tackle dilemmas that arose. I also thank her for renewing my enthusiasm for the project when it seemed to wane. Without Paula this memoir may not have been completed and certainly not so expeditiously.
I thank Joan Parker who became my literary agent and extended to Paula and me some of her impressive knowledge about books. Joan became a valuable adviser who made the process of publishing a book understandable. Our first contact was through a phone call she made to me regarding a presentation I gave at Moravian College about being on a Nicholas Winton Kindertransport train in 1939. Joan suggested I consider writing a memoir and seek to have it published—an idea I had only vaguely considered. She offered ideas and gave encouragement through the writing process and beyond. I am most grateful for all that Joan has done.
Other professionals played important roles that enabled my manuscript to become this book and I thank them all.
Julia Abramoff, senior editor of Skyhorse Publishing, read the manuscript and shepherded it along to completion. I thank Julia for her suggestions that strengthened the narrative and helped support the research. Other staffers at Skyhorse were also supportive.
James Brown skillfully restored old family photos to their pristine condition as shown in the book.
Bill Byers, a professional photographer and personal friend, contributed his talent for composition and detail in more recent photographs.
Dan Traut, my patient computer guru, made day-and-night calls to rescue me from many wicked technology glitches.
Members of the creative writing classes I took at the Adult Learning Program listened to and critiqued the vignettes I wrote that are now integrated into the book. They improved the final product.
Me as a young boy.
My mother, Alice.
My father, Benno.
My parents on their wedding day.
My brother, Frank (right), and a fellow officer.
Aunt Malva
Aunt Vala
Uncle Boleslav and Aunt Mila
Aunt Julia
Uncle Paul
Me and Carolyn
Me and Paula
My speech at Moravian College
Paula