Sperling František & Sperlingová Anna ; Daughter: Dobiášová Vlasta (Sperlingová)

Sperling, František Sperlingová, Anna Dobiášová-Sperlingová, Vlasta Marika-Miriam Gruenwald (b. 1938, later Jarney) was an only child. During the deportations of 1942, she escaped with her family to Hungary and, when the Germans invaded Hungary in the spring of 1944, they sneaked back across the border to Slovakia. Following the outbreak of the Slovak National Uprising in late August, the parents handed Marika to Margita, their former housekeeper, and her husband. Marika’s parents were then captured in the large-scale roundup on the eve of Yom Kippur in Bratislava and were deported. Marika soon fell ill and Margit felt that she could no longer care for the child. Thus, an acquaintance helped to move Marika to the house of František, Anna, and Vlasta Sperling. Anna was not very healthy and was afraid that the burden of taking care of the girl would be too much for her. However, when she saw little Marika, she could not refuse. Marika was handed to the Sperlings as an Aryan girl who had been separated from her parents as a result of the war. Another Jew, Dr. Neubauer, was also hiding in the Sperlings’ house. Marika’s remarks when she surprised him while he was praying soon gave away her Jewish identity to the Sperlings. Their warm attitude towards her did not change after this revelation. Anna provided Marika with maternal care, and 16-year-old Vlasta took care of keeping Marika busy, and she treated her as a younger sister. She took her out for walks, played with her, and, most importantly, taught Marika to read and write. Vlasta tried to reduce Marika’s yearning for her parents by having her write letters to them. The letters were kept at the Sperlings’ house. Vlasta also served as the intermediary between Neubauer and his wife, who was hiding elsewhere. Vlasta also supplied them with food. Only Marika’s mother survived the camps. She then received the letters that Marika had written to her with Vlasta’s help during the war. On November 17, 1993, Yad Vashemrecognized Anna Sperlingová, František Sperling, and their daughter, Vlasta Dobiášováová-Sperlingová, as Righteous Among the Nations.