Stacke Joseph & Agnès (Ciganik)

Stacke, Joseph Stacke (Ciganik), Agnès Kurt and Hadvic Fischl, originally from the Czech Republic, fled their country in 1938 with both of their sons, Otto Gérard (b. 1929) and Hans Alex (b. 1934), because of the Nazi persecutions. They arrived in France and settled in Paris. Unfortunately, they were unable to leave France in time to escape the Nazi occupation. In 1942, through an acquaintance, Kurt was put in touch with Joseph Stacke, also of Czech origin, who lived in the small town of Salles-d’Anglès (Charentes), near the town of Cognac. Joseph agreed to take in the two Jewish brothers Otto and Hans. He owned a large farm where he lived with his wife, Agnès, and their six children. In July 1942 Otto and Hans left Paris for Angoulême, where Joseph waited for them. About three weeks after they left, Kurt and Hadvic went to hide on the farm as well. The whole Fischl family, now reunited, was under the care of the Stacke family. The farm was surrounded by high walls, and the Fischls were very careful never to step outside. Most of the time, they stayed inside the walls of the farm, from the moment they arrived until the liberation. The surrounding danger was real: right next to the farm was a German base. The Germans often came to the farm because they were interested in antiques, which the Stacke family had. Whenever they came, the Fischl family would hide in a room inside the house until the Germans left. The Fischls helped with the daily tasks but never had to give any financial compensation in return for the Stackes’ help. As Otto wrote to Yad Vashem: “Mr. Stacke during his younger years, when he lived in the Czech Republic, remembered that the Jewish people every Friday would ask him to join them for a Sabbath dinner and gave him food, as very often he was hungry. He vowed there and then that one day, if he could, he would repay his debt to the Jewish people, and this was his way of doing it. In my opinion, the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Stacke put their lives at risk, the lives of their children, and took great risks to save four Jews, can only be described as an act of supreme courage and compassion.” In 1945 the Fischls left the farm and went back to the Czech Republic, only to find out that they were the only ones who remained alive out of a family of about 120 people. They then decided to leave the Czech Republic permanently, and they settled in Australia. They still live there today, and the families have stayed in touch. On February 14, 2012, Yad Vashem recognized Joseph and Agnès Stacke as Righteous Among the Nations.