Jáchymov, tábor Bratrství
bývalý komunistický trestně pracovní tábor · K Lanovce 1045, 362 51 Jáchymov, Česká republika
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Beginning of a great career in StB

Dostupné v: English | Česky

Vratislav Herold began his career in StB, (State Security in Czechoslovakia), in mining town Jáchymov in 1953. To his displeasure he joined the wardens in the labour camp called Bratrství, (Brotherhood). In that time the camps and prisoners were on the increase, and each StB newcomer had practical training right there. “Well, I made a long face. I do not remember if I knew there were labour camps for political prisoners. I had the shifts on the guard watch towers. We used to have 24 hours shifts, and took turns on the towers after four hours, I think. We almost had no contact with prisoners. I was curious to see the uranium so once I went to the mine. I often felt embarrassed, for example when I went to have lunch, the prisoners had to stop doing everything and take off their hats when they saw me. In that moment, I was ashamed,” says Vratislav Herold, who served two months on the guard watch towers. Fortunately, after that he was posted to the StB regional office in Jáchymov.

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Vratislav Herold

Vratislav Herold

Vratislav Herold was born in 1927 in Rakovník. As a student, at the trade academy during the occupation, he was sent by the Nazi authorities to do forced labour in the ceramic factory in Rakovník. Influenced by idealistic dreams he wished to join the resistance movement. However, following the advice of his sister, at seventeen he eventually went to work on trenches with the League Against Bolshevism. After the war he applied to join the Communist Party. A party official wanted to improve his personal file however and wrote his entry date as May 5, 1945, even though Herold submitted his application several days after the liberation. In 1948 he graduated from the trade academy and, after completing his military service with the border guard, he began working in the distribution department of the Rudé Právo publishing house. He also devoted time to his life-long interest in literature and theatre. He applied for a position as a cultural referent in the publishing company, but he wasn't successful, and thus submitted his application to the National Security Corps instead. Since he disliked uniforms, as he claimed, in 1952 he applied to join their civilian section, unaware that he was actually applying for a position in the State Security, (Secret Police, StB). At first he was sent for a trial period to the town of Jáchymov among the guards from the labour camp Bratrství. Then in 1953 he was assigned to work in the 1st section of the 2nd department of StB in Prague, which was the counterintelligence department specifically aimed against Austria. Herold, who was proficient in several languages, handled Czechoslovak spies in foreign assembly refugee camps. Later he was transferred to the anti-American department where his tasks included monitoring of Czech associations with close ties to American organizations, (e.g. YMCA). He was then transferred to a department where he was in charge of surveillance of American diplomats in Czechoslovakia. During his service for StB Vratislav Herold won the collaboration of over a hundred people who worked with StB, among others the well-known historian Toman Brod. He was involved in many successful operations, for example under the cover name ATOM. He succeeded in contacting the major-domos of the American ambassador, whom he planned to use to deliver tapping devices from the ambassador's study. After 1968 he was dismissed and in 1970 he didn't pass the clearance because he opposed the entry of the Warsaw Pact armies to Czechoslovakia. During the normalization he worked in a liquor store. Later he left Prague and worked as an accountant in a housing cooperative. Vratislav Herold's hobbies were modern history and literature. He passed away on 9th of December 2010.

Jáchymov, tábor Bratrství

Dostupné v: English | Česky

Dříve Štola saských šlechticů. Nové jméno dostala šachta v roce 1945 na počest pařížské Komuny. V letech 1950–1954 zde byl ústřední tábor jáchymovského lágru, kterým procházeli všichni nově příchozí vězni. Poté převzal funkci ústředního tábora Vykmanov. Z tábora Bratrství se nezachovalo téměř nic, štola slouží od roku 1974 jako úložiště radioaktivních odpadů.

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