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The apartment was inside, on one side of the yard. We had three rooms, a kitchen and bathroom. It wasn’t furnished, but later my poor mother made a tin bathtub. Next to it there was a boiler where we used to heat the water with wood. We had a light violet bedroom, with curtains and overlay made of thick silky material. It was beautiful!
On the other side of the yard, behind the stores, there was a wooden shed for each store. Then there was a tapestry-manufactory, with a ‘szenapad’ upstairs [Editor’s note: that’s how they called ‘szenapadlas’ – hayloft – in that region]. On the side of the hayloft there were two dark toilets, without windows, nothing but electric lighting.
They only consisted of a cesspit, which was emptied from time to time, not too often. The toilets had wide wooden seats. Later, my mother made a cement cesspit, God knows why. We used to go there, too, because we didn’t have a normal toilet. It was a great thing when my mother made another separate toilet in the front, which had some more light.
On the other side of the yard, behind the stores, there was a wooden shed for each store. Then there was a tapestry-manufactory, with a ‘szenapad’ upstairs [Editor’s note: that’s how they called ‘szenapadlas’ – hayloft – in that region]. On the side of the hayloft there were two dark toilets, without windows, nothing but electric lighting.
They only consisted of a cesspit, which was emptied from time to time, not too often. The toilets had wide wooden seats. Later, my mother made a cement cesspit, God knows why. We used to go there, too, because we didn’t have a normal toilet. It was a great thing when my mother made another separate toilet in the front, which had some more light.
Period
Location
Nagykaroly
Romania
Interview
Klara Markus