Artur Radvansky

This photo of me was taken sometime between 1945 and 1948 in Prague. I no longer remember the exact date. In 1946 I married Alzbeta Kürtiova, and before starting my studies at ICT [Institute of Chemical Technology], I took a summer job in the Stalin Works in Litvinov. In October of that year I then started my first semester at ICT. My first exam was in hydrology, in 1947. I was really quite afraid of my exam in inorganic chemistry, and so I studied hard and didn't leave anything to chance. I did my exam in inorganic chemistry with a professor whom I had met in Sachsenhausen. I did my exam in organic chemistry with Professor Sorma, with whom I then worked at the Academy of Sciences. I 'skated through' the Communist putsch and the subsequent Communist years as a member of the resistance, an anti-Fascist, I was in the Association of Freedom Fighters, and trade unionist. I had actually already started to give lectures about the Holocaust in 1946, so I was looked upon as a progressive individual. In 1951 I graduated from ICT. Immediately after I finished my studies I started working at the Academy of Sciences, where I worked as a chemist. My boss there was Dr. Bazant, originally from Pisek. There were quite a few Jews at the academy, and I can't say we felt some sort of anti-Semitism. The fact that at one time I was even chairman of the company board at the Academy vouches for the fact that my Jewish origin wasn't a handicap for me. There was also a lot of interest among my co-workers in my stories about my experiences during World War II. In 1954 or 1955 I also changed my name, Thüeberger, to Radvansky, because I didn't want to have a German name any more. I chose the name Radvansky according to Radvanice, where I was born and spent my childhood.