the german occupation of czechoslovakia began with the annexation of the sudetenland in 1938, and the subsequent establishment of bohemia and moravia as german protectorates in march 1939. capek describes these early years of german occupation as 'gradual, and systematic'. her persecution developed over the course of a three-year period, beginning with her removal from school, and progressing to her banishment from work and subsequent placement in a jewish youth hostel. the situation changed dramatically with the assassination of german nazi officer reinhard heydrich in 1942. heydrich's death saw a marked increase in transportations from prague to czechoslovakia's theresienstadt concentration camp. by september 1942, capek herself was bound for the camp. capek remembered theresienstadt 'in mixed terms'. she recalled the horror of finding her father malnourished and emaciated on her arrival there, and watched him die from pleurisy two days later. she recalled the inhumanity she felt in knowing that the old and sick were dying at the camp, and the scenes she witnessed in the early days as a cleaner in the camp's infirmary. by september 1944, she had met and become engaged to marry one of the camp's inhabitants, igor ‘sisi’ eisenberg. upon learning that he and hundreds of the camp's other men were bound for auschwitz, capek and five hundred of the camp's women volunteered to join them. at the time, capek recalled that the men and women of the camp thought they were being moved to 'assist with the war efforts'. capek arrived at auschwitz on 1 october 1944. upon arrival, the leader of her group was shot and killed as she exited the train. the group were then gathered outside the gates of the camp, where they were separated into two groups by ‘a man in a white coat’. after entering the camp, capek and her group were shaved, showered and dressed in dog collars and rags. over the ensuing four weeks, capek was woken every morning at 5:00 am for roll call and fed red beetroot in water. amongst the horrors, she recalled witnessing german guards murder two polish women, and people throwing themselves at the electrical fence. by her own account, she was 'lucky' to have arrived at auschwitz as late in the war as she did. by 28 october 1944, capek was being transported again, this time to the kudowa-sackisch concentration camp, where she remained for the duration of the war. she stated that the camp was run largely by 'female gestapo officers', and was required to work as a machinist, grave digger and railway worker during her time there. at the end of the war, on 8 may 1945, capek was marched by the gestapo to the border of czechoslovakia with the remainder of the camp's inhabitants. she was met by the townsfolk of nachod, who took her and the remainder of the camp into their care as they recovered.