Karl Mladek was born on 12-19-1921 in Witkowitz, Marish Ostrava which was part of Czechoslovakia and then Germany, or maybe the other way around. He was German, but could become a Czech citizen. He was born at home and so were two brothers and two sisters. His father Leopold Mladek was also born in this house on 11-15-1887 along with a sister Angela and brother Viktor. There may have been more, but this is all I know about. Ignatz Mladek, born 7-30-1853 was Leopold's father and lived here. Leopold continued to live here after marrying Valeria Trompler and raised the 5 children here. They were Leopold 1916 (who I will call Poldi from now on), Helene 1919, Karl (my father) 1921, Josef 1924, and Elisabeth 1925. Viktor also married and lived there in the two back rooms by the garden. He had two children, Rudolph (Rudi) and Marta. Rudi was the same age as my father and my father remembered playing with them as a child. The front of the house was right on a main street in a busy city. The back of the house had a nice garden, but butted up to railroad tracks.
A major steel plant wasn't far from here. They held an annual parade that went right by their house. Leopold worked at the steel plant as a supervisor. And later, Karl also worked there for a while.
This is behind the house and the garden and the railroad tracks are right behind the fence.
I noticed all the stones around the garden and one day just a couple years ago, it hit me that I also have stones around most of my gardens. I must have inherited my grandmother's love of gardens and rocks.
A story that Karl, my father, told me was that he and his brother Josef as young kids had found an old board in the shed and then found some small wheels and attached them. They got their little sister Elisabeth, or Liesl, to come out, made her sit on the board and pushed her around the garden. Of course, she fell off and cried, and the boys were yelled at, but they had fun. Karl said his older brother never did anything like that. Poldi liked to read and study. He went on to become a priest!
Another story I have was shared by my father in March of 2012 when he was well into his Alzheimers but belongs here by this home. One day he asked me how the neighbors were doing, so of course I named several neighbors around his last house. He said no... the Bielolavek's. He said he was close friends with Hans. There was Hans, Gottfried and Kurt. So glad he was thinking of good memories.
This is a family portrait and it has 1929 written on the back. There is Karl, Leopold, Liesl, Helene, Valeria and Poldi. Josef is not in the picture.
This photo has Ostrava 1939 written on it. The whole family, Leopold and Valeria Mladek with their children Karl, Elisabeth or Liesl, Leopold Jr or Poldi, Helene and Josef.
This is Leopold at his desk. Don't know if this is in his office. Looks more like it is in his home.
