Eva Mándlová Roubíčková papers

Eva Mändlová (later Roubíčková, 1921-2013) was born in Sudetenland (now Žatec, Czech Republic) to Arnost (1888-1944) and Antonia (1899-1944) Mändl. Arnost, a veteran of World War I, was a professor of Latin and Greek and Antonia took care of Eva and was a volunteer organist at their synagogue. In the mid-1930s Arnost became increasingly concerned for his family’s safety because Eva was experiencing anti-Semitic attacks at school. As a result, Eva, Arnost, Antonia, and Eva’s grandmother left for Prague in 1938. While in Prague, Eva met her future husband, Richard Roubíček (c.1910-1993). Richard attempted to obtain visas for both of their families, but he was only able to secure paperwork for himself. He left for England in 1939 and planned to arrange for his family and Eva’s family to follow. He soon secured a job for Eva in England, but because she was only 17 she could not obtain a work permit. In 1941 Eva and her mother were sent to Theresienstadt and her father was sent in 1942. In the ghetto Eva worked on a farm and would often smuggle food back for her family. In October 1942, she was caught and interrogated, but narrowly missed being transported. Slowly members of her family were transported, but Eva remained at Theresienstadt until liberation. After the war, Eva returned to Prague and learned that she was the only surviving member of her family. Richard survived the war in England and they were soon reunited. Eva married Richard in 1945 and they had a son and a daughter, Vera Wiser.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Funding Note: The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.

Eva Mändlová Roubíčková donated the Eva Mändlová Roubíčková papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1996.