Footsteps of WWII · Czechia & Austria
National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror
Memorial · 18 Jun 1942
The story
After the attack on Heydrich, the Orthodox Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius in Resslova Street hid seven Czechoslovak paratroopers in its crypt, including Gabčík, Kubiš and Josef Valčík. Karel Čurda, another parachutist, gave the Gestapo the names of their helpers, and after the arrest of the Moravec family the SS surrounded the church before dawn on 18 June 1942. Adolf Opálka, Josef Bublík and Kubiš fought from the prayer loft until all three were dead or dying. Gabčík, Valčík, Jaroslav Švarc and Jan Hrubý held the crypt for hours against gunfire, tear gas and attempts to flood it, then killed themselves. Bishop Gorazd and the church's priests were executed in September 1942. Čurda was hanged for treason in 1947.
What to look for
The crypt itself, with the narrow ventilation slit to Resslova Street still scarred by bullets and the hole the paratroopers dug towards the sewer, plus an exhibition on the operation and the Heydrich terror. A plaque and memorial outside mark the bullet-pocked window.
Plan your visit
Open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, closed Mondays. Admission free. Run by the Military History Institute (VHU). The church above is a working Orthodox cathedral. Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Operation Anthropoid Memorial, Prague-Libeň · 6 km
- Lidice Memorial · 18 km
- Terezín Memorial · 52 km
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