OPAVA PRISON

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-00810A003601150010-4
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
5
Document Creation Date: 
December 16, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 25, 2002
Sequence Number: 
10
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
March 11, 1954
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP80-00810A003601150010-4.pdf331.86 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT COUNTRY Czechoslovakia SUBJECT Opave. Prison 25X1 25X1 This Document contains information affecting the Na- tional Defense of the United States, within the mean- ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited. REPORT NO. DATE DISTR. NO. OF PAGES REQUIREMENT NO. REFERENCES 25X1 11 March 1954 25X1 1. The Opa7a Prison is located directly behind the court building in Opava and 25X1 is bordered by Olomou a Stn, Lidicka St, and two other streets 25X1 25X1 2. The larger part of the installation is surrounded a wall five m. high, but part of the buildings of the prison and the court extend to the streets. The individual gardens and courtyards are separated by the same wall. On the Li- dicka St. side, there is a garden in front of the prison building. 3. ThA entrance is on Lidicka St.,- however, the prison can also be entered frcm the court building through a trellised door. The only vehicle entrance is located on Olomoucka St. between the court building and the prison workshops. The prison building and the warehouse are two-storied. 4. The prison has cells for solitary confinement and larger ones for more than one prisoner. The total number of cells was unknown a. The size of the solitary confinement cells is about 4 by 2.5 by 3.8 meters. The single-pane window has a site of about 40 by 120 am. and is about 2.5 meters above the floor. On the outside it is barred. The individual bars - there are about eight - are four-cornered, about 18 by, 18 mm. thick, and are fixed in the wall vertically. They are reinforced with about two double rows of flat pieces of iron, one on the outside and the other on the inside, which are fastened horizontally with rivets. The wooden door is covered with sheet iron. Its size is about 110 by 200 cm. Although the door has a handle, the look can only be opened with a key after it has been closed. There probably are horizontal bolts at the top and bottom of the door. There is a peephole and, a small trap window in the door. The cell is fur- nished with two beds - one of which can be folded - one table, two stools, one wash table with basin, toilet (a frame with a. pail), one wall chest for toilet articles and one water jug. The only lamp is fastened directly 25X1 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 25X1 to the ceiling. The inventory, a list of the goods which the prisoners are permitted to have purchased for them, and a booklet with the prison regulations are hanging on the wall. 5 b. The size of the large cells is about 6 by 6 by 3.8 meters. About 1.5 meters frogs. the floor there are two windows 100 by 180 cm. large. windows are barred in the same manner as those of the solitary cells, The door is the same, only there are three rows of.flat pieces of iron, only there is no trap window. The cell is furnished with 10 beds, one table, two benches, 10 small chests (one above each bed) for toilet arti- cles, etc., one wash table with basin dandeoneswater jug. booklet in the the solitary cells, there is one lamp, prison regulations are fastened to the wall. The prison routine was as follows: 5. 6 a.m. 11:30 - 11::50 a.m. Reveille (a bell was rung), cleaning the cells, emptying the pails, rollcall in the cells, breakfast Start of work, which lasted until 3030 p,m, (only part of the prisoners had to work) Lunch hour; the prisoners not working ate in their cells 3030 p.m. Return to the cells, supper, emptying pails 4 - 4030 p.m. Roll(*1l in the cells, locking of the d the cells were 9 P.M. cells; on Satur aye locked at 1 p.m. Bedtime (a bell was rung); in winter, curfew was at 8 p.m. a. Rollcall in the cells was conducted as follows. All inmates had to line up, with the senior ("starsi") at the head of the line. When the super- visor, or chief of the ward, opened the door he said "Good day", whereupon the senior inmate called: "Attention, Cell X (giving the appropriate num- ber), X men (giving the appropriate number of inmates), everything in order;" The supervisor replied "Thank you". In case one of the inmates was sick or wanted to attend the "big" rollcall, the supervisor onotedsit down in his service book which either accompanied him rcerri d.; (The supervisor for certain tasks), who usually was always armed with a pistol during rollcalls. b. The food was always distributed by the "chodbar". The cell doors were unlocked during the distribution and the bowls were returned after the meals. c. The pails were usually emptied by the "chodbar". 6. Every grona.the "cein the stn room o on the grouand floor. For this rollcall, the prisoners reporting had to line Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 -3_ 25X1 up by wards in the ground floor hallway. They were admitted to the reception room individually, where two wardens (only on office duty) listened to their wishes. Questions of the prisoners were mostly answered by the wardens right away. The director of the prison never attended these rollealla. The inmates of a cell had to wash the floor once a week. No certain day was set aside for this work. Approximately 20 prisoners were selected for work every day. However, volun- teers were accepted, too. The prisoners were assigned to work in the prison workshops and to "brigades" on SZDs or elsewhere. The prisoners on outside work details were guarded by one guard armed with a pistol and a submachine gun for each group of eight prisoners. People arrested after 191+8 for politi- cal reasons were permitted to work only in their cells, where they pasted paper bags. Once or twice, such prisoners were taken out in the fall during the potato harvest. Very rarely, specialists were assigned to work inside the prison. The prisoners were paid for their work. A prisoner exceeding his work quota received 20 or 30% of his earnings. For making paper bags, 40 Kos. were paid daily. The prisoners not working also received one to two Kcs. per day for postage, etc. 9. Smoking in the cell was permitted during the day, but sitting or lying on the bed was forbidden. An exception was made if the doctor ordered a sick man to stay in bed. 10. At irregular tfines, but once a day, all prisoners were led to the garden, where they could walk around in a set circle for one hour. During the walk the pri- soners were watched by two guards who were posted opposite each other, one on each side of the circle. The famnal.e prisoners took their walks in another garden. On Sundays, the prisoners were not taken out for a walk. 11. The prisoners were divided into four disciplinary classes: a. Class I: the worst. These prisoners were each permitted to write and re- ceive one letter every two months. They were permitted to have visitors only every two months. They had less money than the members of Class II. Their heads were shaved. They had to sit behind a wire mesh barrier when talking to their visitors. b. Class II. The members of this class wore their hair cropped to a length of three cm. They were permitted to write and receive visitors every four weeks. They were permitted to spend 50 Kos. for additional food and 90 Kcs. for tobacco goods per month. c. Class III. The members of this class were permitted to write and receive visitors every three weeks. They had 70 Kos. for additional food allotted to them per month. They were permitted to have their own books, but had to leave theme behind upon their release. When talking to visitors, they were placed behind a wall about one meter high. d. Class IV. Members of this class were permitted to write and receive visi- tors every two weeks. In addition to being allowed to wear their hair as long as they wished,? they were also allowed to wear mustaches-and were permitted to own musical instruments. Everything else was the same as for Class III. 12. Each new arrival started in Class I and was prcmoted to the higher classes in accordance with his conduct and work performance. Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 SECRET 25X1 _4_ 13. The total number of prisoners fluctuated between 150 and 300; approximately 45 of them were women. The majority of the immates were sick and weak and had been transferred to this prison from other prisons. Since about 1951, new pri- soners had been delivered to Opava only in small groups and during the night. Upon arrival, each prisoner received a prison suit (mud color), a cap (recently, peaked caps were also issued), a set of underwear, one pair of shoes, one pair of foot bandages (rags), one handkerchief, one towel, one bed sheet, one pillow- case., two blankets, one spoon of light metal and two plastic mugs. The under- wear was changed every Friday - sometimes on Saturdays. 14. There were approximately 20 male supervisors and one female. About two men and two women were permanently assigned to office duty. All of them wore green uniforms. The violet facings were replaced by red ones in 1952 or 1953. 15. Packages sent to the prisoners could not weigh more than 22 kg. Exceptions were made, however, and based upon special work performance a prisoner might be granted permission to receive a parcel of three or even five kg. Of the contents, meat, bacon, fat, butter, alcoholic beverages, glass, tin, cigarettes and matches were Impounded. The prisoners were entitled, however, to decide to whom these items were to be sent. Random checks were made on cake or bread by cutting it, SECRET Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4 xxx Fence o Lampposts x Sentry Posts 25X1 Opava Prison (Not to scale) J Residences f Moloupta:1, Street Trolley bus to Railroad Station ECRET Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA003601150010-4