Livia Klausová: Her husband had to attend the funeral of his brother-in-law instead of Varu

2023-07-04 05:00:00

Klaus’ wife Livia (79) and grandson Vojta (26) “burned through” the death in the clan at the film festival in Karlovy Vary. They both said that grandpa had another event, a family and sad one. This was also confirmed to Bleska yesterday by Klaus himself, who had to go to Switzerland for his brother-in-law’s funeral last Friday. “He was a successful dentist and would have been 89 years old this year,” Klaus said, seeing them both again after 13 years after their emigration. “During normalization, I saw him once during a trip to Yugoslavia, where he came to see me with my sister,” he added.

Escape from the communists

Klaus’ sister and her husband never wanted to leave their homeland. But he changed that on August 21, 1968. “After the August occupation, the husband received a threatening notice. Staying in Czechoslovakia became dangerous for him, and we therefore left the republic within a few hours,” stated Jarochová 10 years ago for MF Dnes. “They headed first to Austria and from there to Switzerland,” Klaus explained. According to the sister, the beginnings of both were difficult. “Leaving parents, siblings, friends, school, work, country, it hurts a lot,” she confided that the couple also knew only Czech and Russian.

Interest in the Czech Republic

After emigrating, the Jarochs did not resent their native land. “Those who left only for material reasons were either disappointed and depressed and returned, or on the contrary completely forgot their Czech roots. But there aren’t many of them,” said Klaus’ sister, whose family was always interested in what was happening in the country and returned after 1989. “Our children and grandchildren, i.e. the third generation abroad, speak Czech, they feel at home in the Republic during their visits and are proud of their Czech blood,” she boasted.

Disagreement with brother

Ten years ago, the head of state’s sister “didn’t get along” with her brother. To when he supported Miloš Zeman (78) in the direct presidential election and supported Karel Schwarzenberg (85). Many blamed the princes for the fact that his family fled to Switzerland and Austria in 1948 due to the communist coup. According to Klaus, his successor at the Castle should have been someone who had lived in the Czech Republic for a long time. “I have to express how far I feel I am a Czech despite my emigration. Just as a Praguer is not like a Praguer, neither is an emigrant like an emigrant. The reason why the person left is also important,” Alena Jarochová responded to her brother. “The future president must know well the Czech past and the current situation, the problems, joys and concerns of the citizens, but above all he should be a decent, morally strong and wise person,” she added.