Josef Waněk came from a Czech-German family, his father was a Czech from Znojmo, his mother a German from Rumburk.
In 1924, Josef married Helena Korde from Duchcov. In Ústí nad Labem, they had two children, Walter and Eva, according to their school reports, both were excellent students. After finishing primary school, they wanted to study at a grammar school, but they were enrolled in the school year 1939-1940.
Photo from the family archive: wedding photo of Josef and Helena Waněk
Although Helena’s mother was baptized soon after birth, according to Nazi law she was not only not “Aryan”, she was Jewish. Helena’s marriage to Josef Waňek was labeled as “mixed”.
Anti-Jewish decrees and local “measures” followed. The family had to hand over the radio. Their money was considered Jewish property that belonged to the Greater German Reich. As a Jew, Helena was not allowed to go to the cinema, cafes, theatres or the swimming pool. The authorities forced Josef to divorce Helena. They fired him from his job.
By persistently refusing a divorce, he protected Helena and the children from deportation.