The Story of the Belt Makers

Ida Friedová was born on 17th August, 1887. She was a nice, kind, good-hearted woman. She and her husband did not have any children. They lived at what is today 188, Rektor Stříteský Street. The Frieds employed a housemaid, whom they called Pepinka. They had a small workshop in Umrlčí Street where today´s video shop is. They mainly made and sold shoes and leather belts for women. The belts had little coloured stones on the end. They made gloves as well. The shop was not theirs. They had four or maybe more employees. Among them was Anna Nespěchalová, née Drábková. Her daughter, now Emílie Králová, remembers that "Once, my mum was given three unusable pieces of leather at work; they were black, green and red. I remember playing with the red one until it broke and crumbled."

Emílie also says, "Every year at Easter, I would go to the Frieds to sing Easter hymns."

The Frieds´ nephew from Prague, Jiří Popper, was a nice boy with curly hair who was small and always smiling. He used to go to his aunt and uncle´s in the summer holidays.

Mr. Fried died in summer, 1942, six months before his wife was sent to Terezín. Among the people who went to his funeral at the Jewish cemetery were the Nespěchal family.

Ida moved to the flat above the workshop. When sent away, she said she was glad her husband had not lived to see it. She left Litomyšl on 3rd December, 1942 and arrived at Terezín on Cf "Pardubice transport" on 5th December.

Mrs. Friedová left a message for the Nespěchals to pick up some things from her house after she left. A pre-packed parcel with soap bars and cocktail dresses was waiting for Anna Nespěchalová there. Unfortunately, she did not have the chance to use them. Ida had left everything in her house - furniture, duvets, and silver cutlery. When the Nespěchals decided to go by Ida´s house and hide some of the things, it was already too late and the house was guarded by Germans.

There was rumour that some Jews froze to death whilst being moved and that they were thrown out of the carriages. Ida is said to have been among them. When Mrs. Emílie Králová, née Nespěchalová, was in Terezín, she supposedly found Ida´s grave. The list from Terezín, however, contains an entry showing that Ida Friedová was sent to Auschwitz on 23rd January, 1943 in Cr transport with the number 121 and that it was there she really died.

Dominika Pávková