History

The National Memorial on the Vítkov Hill reflects the historical experience of the Czech state. Its origins date back to the period after World War I, when the idea to build a monument to the Czechoslovak Legion was born. In 1928 the foundation stone of the National Liberation Memorial was laid. The architectural design was created by Jan Zázvorka. However, the opening ceremony planned for the anniversary of the foundation of the state in 1938 did not take place. Under the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the Memorial was occupied by the Germans, who used it as a Wehrmacht warehouse. After the end of World War II, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was transferred to the Memorial. At present, the remains of an unknown soldier from the battles of Zborov and Dukla are placed here, together with the tomb of General A. Eliáš and his wife.

The largest equestrian sculpture in Central Europe, that of Jan Žižka of Trocnov by the sculptor Bohumil Kafka, is an integral part of the Memorial. Kafka finished the model for the sculpture in 1941, but it was unveiled only on 14 July 1950 on the occasion of the anniversary of the Battle of Vítkov Hill.

In 1948, the Memorial passed to the ownership of the state. Yet its original function was changed, and from 1951 on, important members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia were buried here. Two years later, the mausoleum of the first “working class” president, Klement Gottwald, was bulit here. The Mausoleum of K. Gottwald was open until 1962, when the embalmed body was cremated.

After 1989, all the remains were returned to the families of the deceased or buried in the communal grave of the Communist Party at Olšany Cemetery in Prague. In 2000, the National Memorial on the Vítkov Hill became part of the rehabilitation programme for monuments associated with 20th century history, and a year later it became part of the National Museum. Since October 2009, after several reconstructions, it has again been open to the public.

The National Memorial on the Vítkov Hill houses the permanent exhibition The Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood, and the Festival Hall, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the exhibition Laboratory of Power (Klement Gottwald Mausoleum’s facility) can also be found here. The Memorial’s interior is decorated with Max Švabinský‘s set of mosaics called Apotheosis of the Homeland and the sculpture The Wounded by Jan Štursa in the Chapel of the Fallen. The exhibition The Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood captures significant events in the country’s 20th century history. These consist of five important milestones: the creation of the Czechoslovak Republic; the Munich Agreement in 1938, the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and its renewal in 1945; the Communist coup three years later; the creation of the Czechoslovak Federation in 1968; and the fall of communism in 1989. An integral part of the Memorial, the roof terrace, offers the best view of Prague and its surroundings and also a pleasant café with a panoramic view to Žižkov and Karlín.

The range of cultural events at the Memorial is wide. Besides lectures on various aspects of 20th century history, there are theatre shows in the majestic space of the Festival Hall and concerts of contemporary and classical music, thanks to the organ, which was among the first in Czechoslovakia to be powered by an electrical engine. The Courtyard of Honour with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is frequently used on occasions of state visits and memorial events associated with memorial days and national holidays of the Czech Republic.