Mária Janšáková’s 1939 memoir offers a rare, deeply personal account of political repression in wartime Slovakia.
Detailing her imprisonment in the Ilava detention camp, she records the harsh physical and psychological conditions of daily life – from solitary confinement in mouldy cells to interrogation routines. Her attentive portrayals of fellow prisoners bridge their civilian identities with their suffering under a pro-Nazi regime, highlighting the broader mechanisms of democratic erosion. After her release, she remained under strict surveillance, isolated in her home. Writing became her coping strategy – the only way to “talk it out.”
Published in 1946, the memoir soon faded into obscurity as Janšáková again faced pressure from an undemocratic regime, this time the communist one. Rediscovered only in 2018, it now reaches a wider audience, accompanied by a concise, research-driven introduction that situates this overlooked testimony within broader WWII histories.
Betal enkelt med kort, Klarna, Apple Pay eller Google Pay. Ikke fornøyd? Du har alltid 14 dagers angrerett. Les mer i våre vilkår. Har du spørsmål, send oss en e-post på hello@memmo.org.
Memmo gjør det enklere å studere – uansett hvor du er i verden. Hos oss samler du pensumbøker og smarte studieverktøy på ett og samme sted: sammendrag, quizer, podkaster og flashcards. Og så Ted, din studiekompis som svarer på alt du lurer på. Over 50 000 studenter studerer allerede her – bygget for at du skal lære raskere og stresse mindre.