Three Hours to Leave: A Heinz Family Story

Bohemia, where the Heinz family lived, is now part of the modern-day Czech Republic. In the 1800s, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and after World War I, it became part of the new country of Czechoslovakia.

In villages like Lang-Lammitz, people of different backgrounds lived side by side, including German-speaking families like the Heinz family and Czech families. For many years, life continued this way.

After World War I, however, everything changed. The powers that be in Bohemia approved the removal of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia. As a result, families like the Heinz family were forced to leave their homes, land, and belongings behind and move to Germany, often with very little time to prepare.

This is what happened to Sigmund Heinz and his family, leading to their sudden departure from their home and the difficult journey that followed.

Sigmund Heinz, a skilled tailor, worked for a time in Karlsbad, Bohemia, where he was known for the quality of his craftsmanship—family members later said that when he sewed on buttons, the thread would outlast the suit itself.

Despite his skill, Sigmund grew homesick for his native village of Lang-Lammitz. When he returned, however, he found it difficult to earn a living. Factory-made clothing had replaced much of the need for traditional tailoring, and many villagers had little money to spend.
After the Second World War, the situation changed drastically. One night, Czech authorities came to the Heinz family home and ordered Sigmund, his wife Maria, and their children to leave the country. They were given only three hours to prepare.

Upon seeing the authorities coming to the home and fearing for his daughter’s safety, Sigmund hid Mary and Antonia in the hayloft along with the family’s money, hoping to protect both. The family was forced to abandon their farm—their cows, calves, chickens, geese, their land, and their home.

Sigmund gathered what he could, including his sewing machine, and placed his wife—who suffered from a heart condition—and their daughter onto a hay wagon. They began a difficult three-day journey into Germany.

Life there was not easy. Although German authorities required local families to take in refugees, they were often not welcomed. At first, the Heinz family lived in a single room in another person’s home. Sigmund slept on the ground, while his wife and daughters shared the only bed.