She found the little joys of everyday life even in hard times
Stáhnout obrázek
Paula Wagnerová was born in Dlouhá Lomnice (Langlamnitz) in the Karlovy Vary region on 31 October 1930. She grew up in a German family the second child of Helena and Franz Lattisch. Her mother stayed at home and her father was a miner. This saved his life during World War II when he was called back from the frontline into mining service. Thanks to his expertise, the Lattisch family was also allowed to stay in Czechoslovakia after the war and was not deported. The witness grew up with her one year-older brother Anton. The family was affected by the depression of the 1930s but did not suffer from a shortage of food. She finished primary school in her native village but was not allowed to study. Under Hitler‘s decree at the time, she was forced to work for a year. Aged just 13, she joined a farm, working hard in tough conditions. After the war, she got a job in a china factory in Stružná, assembling cups. She met her future spouse Richard Wagner whom she married in 1948. She followed him to Dražov, living with his family in a large farmhouse. Their daughter was born in 1950, and twelve years later they moved to their own house in Dražov. She made many friends and her life was made more enjoyable by the village dances at which her husband played with the local band. She worked in a forest from 1962. In 1966 the family moved to the village of Pila. She lived with her husband Richard for an impressive 70 years until his death. At the time of filming in 2025, she was still living in the family home in Pila.
