The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror in Prague

Some places in Prague impress you with their beauty. Others stay with you because of the story they tell. The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror belongs firmly to the second category.

Located at the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius on Resslova Street, just a short walk from the Vltava River and Charles Square, the memorial is connected with one of the most dramatic events in Czech history: Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and the final battle of the Czechoslovak paratroopers in June 1942.

Its most powerful part is the historic crypt beneath the church – the actual place where four of the paratroopers made their final stand against German forces.

If you are interested in the Second World War, the Czech resistance, or simply want to discover a side of Prague that goes far beyond castles and picturesque streets, this is one of the most important historical places you can visit.

Who Was Reinhard Heydrich?

To understand the memorial, we first need to understand the man whose name is connected with it.

In September 1941, Reinhard Heydrich arrived in Prague as Acting Reich Protector of the Nazi-occupied Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. He was one of the most powerful figures in Nazi Germany and played a central role in Nazi repression and the Holocaust.

His arrival in Prague was followed by a brutal campaign against the Czech resistance. Martial law was introduced, resistance figures were arrested and executed, and the occupation regime intensified its efforts to suppress opposition.

For the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London, Heydrich became an important target.

Operation Anthropoid

The mission to assassinate Heydrich was given the codename Operation Anthropoid.

Two Czechoslovak soldiers trained in Britain – Josef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš – were parachuted into the occupied Czech lands during the night of 28–29 December 1941.

They were far from alone. An extensive network of Czech resistance members provided accommodation, contacts, information, supplies and assistance. Without these people, the operation would have been impossible.

On 27 May 1942, Gabčík and Kubiš attacked Heydrich's car as it slowed at a sharp bend in Prague-Libeň.

The plan did not go as intended.

Gabčík attempted to fire his Sten submachine gun, but the weapon jammed at the crucial moment. Kubiš then threw a specially prepared bomb, made from a modified British anti-tank grenade, at Heydrich's car. The explosion seriously wounded Heydrich.

Heydrich died from his injuries on 4 June 1942.

The assassination was an extraordinary act of resistance – but the Nazi response was devastating.

The Heydrich Terror

After the attack, the occupation authorities launched massive reprisals in an attempt to find the assassins and punish anyone suspected of helping them.

Thousands of people were arrested, executed or deported. During the second period of martial law alone, more than 1,400 people were executed.

The villages of Lidice and Ležáky became the most infamous symbols of the Nazi reprisals. Both were destroyed, their inhabitants executed or deported, and many of their children murdered. Only two children from Ležáky survived.

This period is known in Czech as the heydrichiáda – a term referring to the wave of Nazi terror associated with Heydrich's rule and the reprisals following his assassination.

Despite an enormous manhunt, however, the Germans initially failed to find Gabčík and Kubiš.

Eventually, they and five other Czechoslovak paratroopers found refuge in an Orthodox church in central Prague.

That church is where the memorial stands today.

The Church on Resslova Street

The Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius does not look particularly dramatic when you first approach it.

Yet in June 1942, it became the setting for one of the most famous last stands in Czech history.

Seven Czechoslovak paratroopers were hiding there:

Josef Gabčík, Jan Kubiš, Adolf Opálka, Josef Valčík, Josef Bublík, Jan Hrubý and Jaroslav Švarc.

They belonged to several different parachute operations and had been sent into occupied Czechoslovakia from Britain.

Members of the Czech Orthodox Church helped conceal them, despite knowing that doing so placed not only themselves but also others connected with them in mortal danger.

For several weeks, the hiding place remained secret.

Then came betrayal.

The Betrayal of Karel Čurda

Another Czechoslovak paratrooper, Karel Čurda, voluntarily reported to the Gestapo on 16 June 1942 and betrayed members of the resistance network. He was later financially rewarded by the Nazis for his cooperation.

He revealed information about resistance contacts who had helped the parachutists.

His information led the Gestapo to members of the resistance network, including the Moravec family. Following brutal interrogation, the Germans eventually discovered that the paratroopers were hiding in the Orthodox church on Resslova Street.

In the early hours of 18 June 1942, German forces surrounded the building.

The seven men inside knew there was virtually no possibility of escape.

They decided to fight.

The Last Battle

Three of the paratroopers – Jan Kubiš, Adolf Opálka and Josef Bublík – fought the Germans from the upper part of the church.

The fighting lasted almost two hours.

Opálka died there, while Kubiš and Bublík were taken away unconscious and mortally wounded. Neither regained consciousness.

The Germans then turned their attention to the four men defending the crypt below:

Josef Gabčík, Josef Valčík, Jan Hrubý and Jaroslav Švarc.

German forces attempted repeatedly to force them out. They threw tear gas and grenades into the crypt and even tried to flood it with water.

The four men continued resisting for hours.

With ammunition running out and capture approaching, they chose death rather than surrender.

By the end of the battle, all seven Czechoslovak paratroopers were dead.

The date was 18 June 1942.

The crypt remained.

And that is the place you can enter today.

Visiting the Crypt Today

This is what makes the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror so powerful.

You are not visiting a reconstruction of the battlefield.

You are entering the actual place where the final part of the battle took place.

The memorial includes a permanent exhibition and the historic crypt itself. The exhibition traces the story from the Munich Agreement and the Nazi occupation of the Czech lands through Heydrich's rule, the preparation and execution of Operation Anthropoid and finally the battle of 18 June 1942.

It also tells the stories of the resistance members and Orthodox Christians who helped the paratroopers.

The crypt itself is deliberately much simpler.

Inside are bronze busts commemorating the seven soldiers. Rather than functioning as another conventional museum room, the crypt serves primarily as a place of remembrance.

Standing there, it is difficult not to think about the four men trapped underground while German forces tried to break through.

Look at the Wall Outside

Before entering – or after leaving – take a moment to look carefully at the exterior of the church on Resslova Street.

You can still see the crypt window connected with the battle.

Knowing what happened here completely changes the way you look at what would otherwise appear to be an ordinary Prague street.

The memorial is not confined to the underground crypt either. The church and its surroundings commemorate the soldiers, Orthodox clergy and civilians who became involved in the resistance.

It is one of those places where Prague's history is not hidden behind glass in a museum. It happened right here.

The Forgotten Heroes of Operation Anthropoid

When people first learn the story of Operation Anthropoid, attention naturally focuses on Gabčík and Kubiš.

But one of the most important things to understand is that the operation was never simply the story of two men.

Behind the paratroopers stood a large network of ordinary people.

Families offered them places to sleep. Resistance members delivered messages. Others supplied food, information and equipment. Members of the Orthodox Church provided their final hiding place.

Many knew exactly what could happen if the Gestapo discovered them.

And many ultimately paid with their lives.

Among those connected with the church were Bishop Gorazd, Father Václav Čikl, Father Vladimír Petřek and Jan Sonnevend. They were arrested, sentenced to death and executed for their role in helping the paratroopers.

The consequences went even further. The Czech Orthodox Church was subsequently banned by the Nazi authorities in the Protectorate.

Remembering these people is essential to understanding the real scale of Operation Anthropoid.

Why Operation Anthropoid Matters in Czech History

Operation Anthropoid was much more than an assassination.

It demonstrated that Czechoslovak resistance to Nazi occupation was active both abroad and inside the occupied country.

The operation and the brutal reprisals that followed also had important international consequences.

The Czechoslovak government-in-exile intensified its diplomatic efforts against the Munich Agreement of 1938, which had forced Czechoslovakia to surrender its border regions to Nazi Germany.

On 5 August 1942, the British government formally repudiated the Munich Agreement. The French National Committee under Charles de Gaulle followed later that year.

At the same time, the human cost of Operation Anthropoid was horrific.

That is why the story does not fit comfortably into a simple tale of military victory.

It is a story of resistance, courage, betrayal, sacrifice and brutal collective punishment.

Perhaps that is exactly why the crypt on Resslova Street remains such an extraordinary place.

There are no enormous monuments here.

You simply walk underground into a relatively small stone chamber.

And suddenly the events of 1942 no longer feel distant.

Is the Heydrich Memorial Worth Visiting?

For anyone interested in World War II history in Prague, I consider it one of the city's essential places.

It is particularly worth visiting because the historical event and the location are inseparable. You can read about Operation Anthropoid in a book or watch films about it, but standing inside the actual crypt gives the story an entirely different dimension.

The memorial is also conveniently located in Prague's New Town, so you do not need to dedicate half a day to reaching it.

I recommend taking the time to read the exhibition rather than simply walking straight into the crypt. Understanding who these men were – and how many civilians risked their lives to help them – makes the final part of the visit considerably more meaningful.

Practical Information for Visiting the Heydrich Memorial

The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror is located at:

Resslova 9a, Prague 2 – Nové Město

It forms part of the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius and is administered by the Military History Institute Prague.

The currently published opening hours are:

Tuesday–Sunday: 9:00–17:00
Monday: closed

Last admission is at 16:30.

As opening hours and visitor arrangements can occasionally change, I always recommend checking the official information before visiting.

Animals are not permitted inside the memorial, with the exception of guide and assistance dogs.

One of Prague's Most Important Historical Sites

Prague is famous for its medieval streets, Gothic churches, Baroque palaces and beautiful views. But its twentieth-century history is just as important.

The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror tells one of its most difficult and extraordinary stories.

It is the story of Josef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš.

It is the story of the five men who died alongside them.

But it is also the story of the many people whose names are much less famous – the resistance members, families and clergy who decided to help them despite the enormous danger.

When you walk back out onto Resslova Street, Prague looks exactly the same as before.

But after learning what happened beneath that church in June 1942, you may see the city a little differently.

Visit the Memorial With Us on Our New Town Free Tour

If you would like to discover this story as part of a wider exploration of Prague, join us on our New Town Free Tour.

The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror is one of the stops on the tour. Here, we talk about Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and the dramatic last stand of the Czechoslovak paratroopers – right at the place where these events unfolded.

Our New Town Free Tour also shows you a very different side of Prague from the medieval Old Town. Along the way, we explore the city's more recent history, architecture and important events that shaped modern Prague.

And if the story of Operation Anthropoid particularly interests you, I still recommend returning to the memorial after the tour and visiting the exhibition and crypt inside. Standing in the actual place where the final battle took place adds another dimension to the story.