Svět, ve kterém jsem žil – Sousedík Stanislav (2014)

In our first year, there were about ten Czechs, two Poles, two Croats, one Italian who claimed to be Austrian – his father was a judge in Trieste – and about thirty Hungarians. The rest were Germans. Among us, we had one count (Schweinitz), one baron, and several titles von. The officers maintained absolute objectivity towards everyone, but that was less so within our own ranks. In the first year, especially the Viennese often made us Czechs feel their state superiority with some sarcastic remark. Sometimes a very harsh insult was thrown, such as "Du mit Povideln gesalbter böhmischer Wenzel," which translates to "the Czech Wenzel smeared with plum jam." If we complained about such invectives, it would have severe consequences for the insulter, but it wouldn't contribute to the cordiality of the environment, so similar incidents were initially settled with fists, and later, as we progressed in fencing, with sabers. However, such cases decreased over time, as we increasingly bonded into one solid, camaraderie-filled collective. The bonds of friendship were so strong that we promised each other before the muster – and the political situation in 1917 made such considerations not at all...