Fritz


Destiny changed the course of things.  I went to Paris as planned but with less
ardour, in fact without enthusiasm.  About two months before leaving for
Paris, at the end of December, I met a young man who was fated to become
my husband.  My parents had a hired box at the theatre which had room for
five people and I often invited friends when my parents could not go.  This
also happened one evening in December 1938, when Boris Godunov was
performed.  One of my friends whom I had invited was unable to come but
asked whether I would mind if a young man came instead.  The young man
was Fritz (Miroslav) Brichta.  I could not remember ever having met him
before although he claimed to have met me in the company of my girlfriends. 
Indeed I remember that one of the young men with whom my girlfriends
exchanged letters during their service in the army had once sent greetings 'to
the girl with the beautiful blue eyes'  having me in mind.
         From the first moment we were mutually attracted.  I think that from that
evening at the opera watching Boris Godunov - Mussorgsky was Fritz's fa-
vorite composer - we met daily; our friendship and love increased from hour
to hour and the thought of being separated made us sick.  My pride, however,
did not allow me to retreat - how had I wished that something would happen
to prevent my trip to Paris!  Nothing likely occurred and I departed,
accompanied by my father as planned.
         Fritz and I had so much in common: music, literature, politics, philosophy,
psychology, so many ideas to be exchanged, so many problems to be
discussed.  Fritz was a pleasant looking young man, he was not tall, full
figured but not fat, he had beautiful grey-green eyes, a high forehead, rather a
big nose, he was of  gentle disposition, very quiet, emanating kindness.  He
had studied law and by the time we met he had graduated, taking his
apprenticeship in court.  He tried three times to take examinations for his
doctorate, but failed and said he would never do it.
         Just like many other intellectuals, Fritz and his friends believed that only the
Communists could bring peace to the world, that the Russian Revolution was
the example for others to follow.  He had a big library with well-known books
dealing with Communist doctrines, which he ordered from abroad.  From him
I learned more than I knew before.  Later we even started to learn Russian in
order to read Russian books.  Fortunately Fritz's activity remained in the limits
of theoretical involvement; he was never a member of the Communist Party
like some of his friends who were always in danger of being imprisoned or
expelled.
         As a boy Fritz played the violin but later he played no instrument; however,
he had an outstanding ability to respond to music, after a few tones he
recognized every piece; we could listen to music for hours. 11.
On one of the last days before my departure to Paris, Fritz invited me to his
home and I accepted under the condition that we should be alone.  My parents
were not informed of our close relationship, therefore I did not want his to
know.  His mother prepared everything to make the afternoon pleasant for us,
but she respected our wish; nobody was at home.  Long afterwards I
remembered the wonderful afternoon, when I listened for the first time to
Schubert's Forellenquintett, Fritz liked it so much!  Fritz adored his mother
and mentioned her often but everything he told me was not nearly the half of
what she really was.  By a stroke of destiny I lived with her much longer than
with Fritz.  She was so wise, kind, loving, intelligent; to me a caring, feeling
mother, a substitute for my lost family (if I may say so).
Table of Contents
Paris