“This is the last stand of the assassins of Reinhard Heydrich.” You might have heard that phrase before, but you might not know where it happened. This is the story that unfolds inside the Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral. Let me tell you about this fascinating place.
The Cathedral was originally a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Saint Karel Boromejsk\u00fd. It was built by the renowned architect Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. This architect was also responsible for other beautiful structures in Prague, like the St. Nicholas Church on the Old Town Square. This cathedral was built around 1740. It then changed hands and became the Czech Orthodox Church in the 1930s. It is still a Czech Orthodox Church today.
But the story of the church does not end there. In the dark days of World War II, this cathedral became the center of an act of courage and defiance. In 1942, seven British-trained Czech and Slovak paratroopers successfully assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi SS-Obergruppenf\u00fchrer who was controlling Nazi rule in the Czech Republic. Trying to escape and avoid capture by the Nazi forces, the paratroopers ended up in the cathedral’s crypt. The place where they made their last stand is still a memorial today. You can see the scars of the battle, bullet holes, and a plaque with their names inscribed. The crypt has been transformed into a museum, a national memorial to the fight for freedom.
Do you see the window under the plaque with the names of the paratroopers? That window is a reminder of the tragedy and sacrifice of these brave heroes. The cathedral is not just a place of worship. It’s a place of history, a place of memory, and a place of courage, a place where heroism and sacrifice are remembered.