Wars do not end in tidy neat packages. At the conclusion of World War II in 1945 everyone was faced with questions about how to deal with those who had aided the enemy. There were many people who aided the Nazi regime including Herta Kašparová who was 25 years old spoke both German and Czech and had a prosthetic foot. Her ability to speak multiple languages made her an asset to the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. However in her home town of Trest she was also considered a victim because she was a member of the occupied population.
After the end of WWII tensions remained high and would only escalate. Many people were angry fearful and seeking someone to blame. Rioting in her home town resulted in rioters attacking Herta’s house and during the rioters storming of Herta’s house she pointed out to German soldiers the names of eight Czech men who she claimed had bullied her. Due to the chaos caused by the rioting the German soldiers executed the eight Czech men without any sort of due process. There was no trial and it was all fast immediate revenge by the German soldiers.
Herta fled to Austria however she would be found and returned to Trest twelve months later.
When Herta was returned to Trest the people of said town did not have any desire for fair justice. Instead they desired punishment. They executed her by the slow method of hanging from a pole. This was done for her to feel pain and humiliation in a public manner.
The execution of Herta leaves behind a lingering question of justice for her actions.