He gave up his Czechoslovak citizenship, but kept the Ore Mountains in his heart
Stáhnout obrázek
Erich Petersik was born on 16 March 1956 in Vejprty into the German family of Františka and Erich Petersik Sr. After the war they were not expelled, among other things thanks to his grandfather‘s professional work in the Jáchymov mines. Erich Petersik grew up in the ethnically mixed village of Kovářská. The turning point in his life came in April 1968, when his family legally emigrated to West Germany. The departure was redeemed by the loss of Czechoslovak citizenship. The family settled in Erbach, where after initial difficulties with the dialect and written German, Erich graduated from university and earned a degree as an engineer. Despite emigrating and starting an international family (his wife came from Portugal), he never abandoned his native land. As a municipal politician for the CDU, he actively promoted international cooperation, including the partnership between Erbach and Jičín. He also received awards abroad for his contribution to European friendship. At the time of the recording in 2025, he was still living in Erbach, Germany.
