Terezin and 'Death of the handsome deer'

On the way back home from mid-term meeting (yes, it is already half of our EVS!) we visited former concentration camp in Terezin. It was easily a real history lesson for all volunteers who went there with us.


But actually it is good occasion to mention one of my favourite book, written by Czech writer called Ota Pavel. Its title is 'Death of the handsome deer' and it has something in common with Terezin. Namely, Ota Pavel was descendant of Jewish family and his 2 older brothers and father were sent to this concentration camp during the II world war. In one of the chapters author describes how his father risked life to bring his sons one last meal before they were sent away to Terezin.


"In the third year of the war, the order came for my brothers to go to the concentration camp, and at home my Dad said: Before they go, these boys need to eat meat. (…) Dad was not allowed to ride his bike, except to work, he was not allowed to leave the house without permission, and he could no longer catch fish; after all, he wasn't living on the Riviera, but in the Protectorate, under the close surveillance of the police and the Gestapo. He went to see his most excellent friend in Bustehrad, Doctor Quido Jerabek, who wrote that he was too ill to go down the mines. Quido had no idea that Dad was planning to go to Krivoklat Castle for the weekend. Dad left our Bustehrad home - number 54, without his star, which he'd ripped off and stuffed in his pocket (…). Dad cycled that night through Zehrovice and Lany. Along his path, the stars shone, whereas the one in his pocket just sat and read 'JUDE'. He thought about all the things that can possibly be thought about; About how twisted and warped the world was, and how before he went around like a lord in his American Buick and now he crawled along the ditches on his creaky bicycle like a poor Jew. He rode along the serpentines of Krivoklat and pushed his bike up the hill above Visnovka, and then he peddled along the Berounka river, where the foam gathered in the pools where the pike swam, just like they had the year before. The water roared just as it had then too, and the adders sprawled across the main road in the heat." *


Lastly, he brought home meet from deer. And they all survived the war.


Ota Pavel writes about wartime frequently in his books. They all are touching and somehow optimistic and very anti-depressing, especially when he cast his mind back to the childhood and fishing, that was his hobby from when he was a child.


If you want know better Czech culture, it is a set text. And there is a film based on this book as well.


To read more about author click here.

*English translation by J. Naughton