Hilde Raab was born in August 1913 in Rybare (Fischern) near Karlovy Vary. Her husband Josef Raab was born in April 1896 in Budapest and was a sales representative of the Waldes company, owning Koh-i-noor factories that produced buttons and snap fasteners. After the wedding, the couple settled in Pilsen, where their son Petr was born in March 1934.
Following the occupation of the Czechoslovak borderlands, Hilde's parents, Karel and Ida Simon, fled Karlovy Vary and moved to their daughter in Pilsen. When several collaborators and friends of Josef Raab were arrested in the first days of the occupation in March 1939, he did not wait for anything and fled to Hungary. Hungary was an ally of the German Nazis at the time, but maintained its independence and managed their anti-Jewish legislation by themselves. The local Jews were temporarily safe, and so was Josef Raab because of his Hungarian citizenship.
Hilde and Josef coordinated their escape attempts remotely, eventually meeting in Tangier, Africa, thanks to a great deal of luck, help from the Jewish communities, from former Waldes company’s collaborators, and support from Jewish refugee organizations. When the chance occurred, Josef wanted to join the Czechoslovak Army, and the family left for Great Britain. In September 1949, Josef, Hilde and their son Petr became naturalized citizens of the United Kingdom.
The interview was recorded on 28 May 1996 in Overland Park, Kansas, USA.