Černák Ján & Černáková Anna ; Son: Ján

Černák, Ján Černáková, Anna Černák, Ján The relationship between Ján Černák and his family and the Altmann and Klein families came about totally by chance. The Altmann family – David, his wife, Leah, and their son Ervín (b. 1929) – were ordered in 1941, during the displacement of the Jews of Bratislava, to move to Nové Mesto nad Váhom. David’s new job was outside of the city and, during the week, he lived with a farmer in the village of Majericky. This situation continued until the outbreak of the uprising and the German invasion of Slovakia in late August 1944. The members of the Altmann family, who were to join the father at the farmer’s home in Majeričky, were accompanied by Artur and Rosa Klein from Nové Mesto nad Váhom and were dispersed among farmers in the area. With the intensification of searches for Jews and partisans in the area, the farmers felt they could no longer hide the fugitives and suggested that they move to Brezová, an area that was purportedly still in the hands of the partisans. A local youth guided them to Brezová. As they approached the town, they learned that it had just been taken over by Germans. They decided to return to the village of Majeričky where they were afforded a few nights’ shelter, but they then found themselves outside in the cold with no place to go. A farmer that they did not previously know approached them and offered to put the Jews up for one night on condition that they hide in the thicket until nightfall. When the fugitives arrived at the farmer’s home, a warm meal and a place in the attic to sleep awaited them. This courageous farmer was Ján Černák. The following day, Ján did not ask his wards to leave, and what was originally supposed to be a one-night sojourn, ended up being a six-month stay. Ján Černák and his wife, Anna, had three children of their own – 17-year-old Ján, four-year-old Jurek, and two-year-old Kristína. Thus, during these six months, the Černáks had an additional five mouths to feed. In ordernot to arouse suspicion, the Černáks continued to sell surplus agricultural produce as they had always done. They traveled long distances to purchase provisions for their hidden charges. Over time, the fugitives were moved to the cellar that was used as a storeroom for potatoes, vegetables, and fruit. The Černáks provided them there with wood planks and warm blankets. As the weather got colder, they were given a log burning stove. During times of danger, the fugitives moved from the cellar to the attic until the peril subsided. Anna cooked for her charges every day and the Černáks’ son Ján ensured that they had water for washing and emptied the chamber pot. The Jews hid at the Černáks’ home until the liberation. By the end of the communist regime, the older generation of survivors and their saviors had already died. Fifty years later, Ervín Altmann and his wife surprised Ján Černák, Jr. by visiting him in his home, in the same village they had lived in during the war. On December 13, 1995, Yad Vashem recognized Ján Černák, Anna Černáková, and their son, Ján Černák, as Righteous Among the Nations.