Pomník obětem 2. světové války

Did the stones beneath our feet ever tremble under the weight of tanks? Here, overlooking the Vltava River, stands the Pomník obětem 2. světové války. This memorial, once vibrant with a mosaic and bronze plaque, commemorates the fighters of the Prague barricades who fell in May 1945. The mosaic depicted the brave barricade fighters. The plaque, now sadly missing, listed the names and birth years of 168 individuals. The Pomník obětem 2. světové války originally paid tribute to those who perished in the fight for Prague’s liberation in areas like Hlubočepy, Zlíchov, Zbraslav, Barrandov, and the Chuchle districts. They fought against SS troops equipped with heavy weaponry. These local heroes held their ground. They even continued fighting on May 9th, 1945, alongside an armored train from Smíchov. The Pomník obětem 2. světové války was unveiled in 1988. It replaced smaller memorials lost to the construction of the Barrandovský Bridge. The memorial was the brainchild of the Czechoslovak Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters. The mosaic was created by Martin Sladký. Miroslav Florian penned the verse: “They fell for Prague, and the river whispers their names like a prayer.” The memorial was accessible from a path leading from the Vltava River up to the then-open Terasy Barrandov restaurant. After 1989, the restaurant was returned to Václav Havel’s family and fell into disrepair. The isolated memorial became a target for thieves. The bronze plaque was stolen, replaced with a plastic one. This too was vandalized. The mosaic was defaced with spray paint in 2019. It was later cleaned. The names of the fallen have since been moved to the monument to the victims of the Prague Uprising at the Church of St. Philip and Jacob in Zlíchov. The Pomník obětem 2. světové války, no longer an official war memorial, remains a poignant reminder of both artistic creation and a city’s struggle for freedom. Currently, access is limited. The path is disrupted due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Barrandov Terraces. Hopefully, with the completion of the reconstruction, the area surrounding the Pomník obětem 2. světové války, and the path connecting the educational trail below the Barrandov rocks to the scenic route along the ridge, will be restored.