Slovakia, Autumn 1944 - p.14: Kalištie
November 3, 1944 Friday
In the morning I stepped out of the barn at the south end of Donovaly. Overnight the season's first snowfall turned everything white. To avoid leaving footprints near the Kolár property I walked on bare patches near other buildings, then ran through a snow covered meadow, crossed a road and moved into a forested area. The place was filled with the debris of the Slovak SNP army. It must have been their last camp before the soldiers withdrew into the mountains or dispersed to their homes. There were tents, field kitchens, small artillery canons, ammunition boxes, rifles, helmets and garbage. As my search for food or a working radio produced nothing, I walked out of the small forest and headed south-west, in the direction of Banská Bystrica.
The sun was high, melting the snow, as I moved toward a narrow valley where I saw a small cluster of houses. Just before the valley, under a curving rock overhang, was a small group of civilians. I recall three women, three children and four men. They were just one of the many groups of Jews hiding in the area. They eyed me distrustfully. I was in uniform, had a bayonet and the handle of a German "potatomasher" handgrenade was sticking out of my knapsack. The tension eased after I told them something about myself. One of the men told me that I might get food and shelter in the last house at the other end of the tiny village. The place was called Kalištie (also spelled Kalište). Before the evening I went to the suggested house where I was treated to a huge meal, mostly leftovers from a recent pig slaughter.
During my stay in Kalištie I was unaware that German troops were in the village a few days earlier. More about that and other events involving Kalištie are among the images on page 16.
For the next four nights I slept on the floor in the warm kitchen of a small peasant house whose other occupant was an old widow. It was my first warm overnight shelter since the end of September. During the daylight hours of the next three days (November 4, 5 & 6) I stayed with the Jewish group. Several hours each day I and one of the men roamed the surroundings looking for food or anything else that could be useful during the coming winter but had no luck. On November 6th I resolved to continue my walk toward Bystrica and my companion decided to come with me. In Kalištie I obtained an old civilian jacket, trading for it my military tunic, cap, long coat, bayonet and handgrenade. --- We started out the next morning.
In the morning I stepped out of the barn at the south end of Donovaly. Overnight the season's first snowfall turned everything white. To avoid leaving footprints near the Kolár property I walked on bare patches near other buildings, then ran through a snow covered meadow, crossed a road and moved into a forested area. The place was filled with the debris of the Slovak SNP army. It must have been their last camp before the soldiers withdrew into the mountains or dispersed to their homes. There were tents, field kitchens, small artillery canons, ammunition boxes, rifles, helmets and garbage. As my search for food or a working radio produced nothing, I walked out of the small forest and headed south-west, in the direction of Banská Bystrica.
The sun was high, melting the snow, as I moved toward a narrow valley where I saw a small cluster of houses. Just before the valley, under a curving rock overhang, was a small group of civilians. I recall three women, three children and four men. They were just one of the many groups of Jews hiding in the area. They eyed me distrustfully. I was in uniform, had a bayonet and the handle of a German "potatomasher" handgrenade was sticking out of my knapsack. The tension eased after I told them something about myself. One of the men told me that I might get food and shelter in the last house at the other end of the tiny village. The place was called Kalištie (also spelled Kalište). Before the evening I went to the suggested house where I was treated to a huge meal, mostly leftovers from a recent pig slaughter.
During my stay in Kalištie I was unaware that German troops were in the village a few days earlier. More about that and other events involving Kalištie are among the images on page 16.
For the next four nights I slept on the floor in the warm kitchen of a small peasant house whose other occupant was an old widow. It was my first warm overnight shelter since the end of September. During the daylight hours of the next three days (November 4, 5 & 6) I stayed with the Jewish group. Several hours each day I and one of the men roamed the surroundings looking for food or anything else that could be useful during the coming winter but had no luck. On November 6th I resolved to continue my walk toward Bystrica and my companion decided to come with me. In Kalištie I obtained an old civilian jacket, trading for it my military tunic, cap, long coat, bayonet and handgrenade. --- We started out the next morning.
posted by Observer at 9:59 PM
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