In April 2011 No 6 Prague District was addressed by the Terezin Memorial and asked to fill in the form for the ´Look for the Memorials´ Project. Its goal was to find out the present situation in all the places on the territory of Czech Republic where various types of Concentration Camps had been during WWII. Within No 6 Prague Borough there was the Gestapo internment facility in the Jeneralka Chateau in 1942 – 1945 time frame. At first it was used for children of the people having been arrested and executed in connection with interrogation following the Reinhard Heydrich´s assassination. Later other internees were held there.
Getting the data the Dpt of Territorial Development found out that no plaque reminding of these grieving events had ever been on the Chateau´s premisses. In May 2011 this Department proposed to the Mayor´s Council so that No 6 Prague District could initiate making and placing this plaque. The building of the Chateau including the adjacent ones of nature of utility is in ownership of the International Baptistic College of the European Baptistic Federation. The proposal was approved by the Borough Council and the amount needed for making and placing the plaque was incorporated into the 2012 Budget.
The Plaque was designed in co-operation with the Terezin Memorial and as a graphic motif was used the one of hankerchief embroidery dedicating ´To Miladka from her aunt Lidka ie. Ludmila Valcikova – a girl´s head, lent from the Terezin Memorial´s Collections. On June 7 the plaque was placed on the building of an former inn that is beyond the Chateau´s grounds and so accessible to the public. Requested by the contemporary owner – the Intl Baptistic Theological College – an smaller plaque with the text in English was placed under the larger one.
NOTE :
Nineteen year old Ludmila Valcikova was the sister of the Silver A Group´s Secret Agent Joseph Valcik.
There is a hook for hanging a wreath below the smaller plaque. The small ones are laid by the No 6 Prague´s Branch of the Czech Campaigners for Freedom Association on the occasions in May.
Not only the representatives of Terezin Memorial, Orthodox Church of Cyril and Metodus in Resslova St, Archive of Prague were there. Also the Political Prisoners- and Compaigners for Freedom Associations took part in this Unveiling Ceremony. Both pupils from Marjanka in Brevnov- and Norbertov in Strasnice Boroughs and students of the Civil Aviation Vocational-, Pedagogical Schools and Grammar one in the Evropska St came too.
Told by Mrs Stankova there will be a memorial gathering held in the St Cyril and Metodus Church in Resslova Street in the evening of June 17. All the ones who had with Heydrich´s Assassination something more or less in common will be remembered.
The names of two hundred and ninety four people shot dead in the Mauthausen Concentration Camp on Oct 24, 1942, Jan 26, 1943 and Feb 3, 1944 are seen on the plaques outside the Church. These were erected from the initiative of not only the Prague Archive and unveiled on Apr 26 2011. The names can be seen in the´Mauthausen Extermination Camp Oct 24, 1942´ text too.
We express our gratitude to Mrs Andrea Holasova, Alena Stankova and Martina Cecilova.
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All the female internees took part in a visit to the Jeneralka Chateau but they preferred cramped authentical rooms of a book depository in its South and Western parts to the ones having been scheduled.
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An Chairwoman of No Prague 6 District´s Branch of the Czech Campaign for Freedom Association Mrs Alena Stankova née Vyhnisova speaking to Miss Hana Benesova from the Reflex Magazine in foreground, eyewitnessed by another internee - Anna Kuzelova née Moravcova - centre. |
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The Plaque is being unveiled by three of the internees - Mrs Stankova née Vyhnisova, Mr. Dalibor Krcmar and Hana Krusinova née Hejlova at left, as well as Mayor Mrs Marie Kousalikova and Naďa Vratislavska née Vykoukova at right. |
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TEXT : From 1942 – 1945 the Jeneralka Chateau was used by the Gestapo in Prague. From autumn 1942 – April 1944 fourty six children of parents who were executed after Heydrich´s assasination, aged between two and sixteen years were interned here. No Prague 6 District Terezin Memorial NOTE : A flag-bearer of the Czech Legionary Association the first from left.
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