Memorial to the victims of communism in Tišnov

Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Tišnov is a plain stone monument in a park behind St. Wenceslas Church, commemorating a group of young people from the town who were put on trial in 1952 for resisting the forced collectivization of agriculture under Czechoslovakia's communist regime.

Where is the memorial located?

The monument stands in a small park on Bezručova street in Tišnov, directly behind the Church of St. Wenceslas — a quiet, green corner of town set back from the main square. Its coordinates are 49.348362 N, 16.424959 E.

What does the memorial look like?

The memorial takes the form of a rough, unhewn boulder fitted with iron clasps and a metal plaque bearing the inscription "OBĚTEM KOMUNISMU" ("To the victims of communism"). It is a deliberately austere object, closer to a marker of memory than a sculptural monument.

When was it unveiled, and by whom?

The memorial was unveiled on 28 September 1994, several years after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia. It was commissioned by the Tišnov town council in cooperation with the Confederation of Political Prisoners, an organization representing people persecuted under the communist regime.

Whose story does the memorial mark?

The monument commemorates an underground group formed around 1950 by former students of the Tišnov gymnasium. The young members opposed the forced collectivization of agriculture in southern Moravia, trying to shield local farmers from persecution — they distributed anti-regime leaflets and gathered weapons. State security uncovered the group in April 1950, and the case went to trial before the State Court in Brno on 11–13 June 1952.

The sentences were severe: Alois Pokorný (1928–1952) and Vlastimil Železný (1928–1952) were condemned to death and executed on 18 December 1952, while Zdeněk Čačka (b. 1928) received a 15-year prison term. Among those tried was also the priest Stanislav Ledabyl (1919–1973), spiritual advisor to the Tišnov scout troop (Junák).

Why is the Tišnov case linked to the Catholic Action trial?

The trial of the Tišnov group ran in the same period as the well-known case against Catholic Action figures — the priest Oto Mádr (1917–2011) and professor Růžena Vacková (1901–1982). Communist authorities tied the two cases together to reinforce propaganda claims of a Catholic Church conspiracy against the socialist state.

What should visitors know before stopping by?

The memorial is not on Tišnov's main tourist route, but it's an easy detour from a visit to the nearby Church of St. Wenceslas, just a few minutes' walk from the historic town center. The site has a quiet, contemplative character, and it is the traditional focus of commemorations held around the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy (17 November).

Frequently asked questions

What does the memorial in Tišnov commemorate? The victims of a 1952 political trial against a group of former Tišnov gymnasium students who resisted the collectivization of agriculture.

Where exactly is the memorial located? In a park on Bezručova street, directly behind St. Wenceslas Church in Tišnov.

When was the memorial unveiled? On 28 September 1994, at the initiative of the town council and the Confederation of Political Prisoners.

Who was sentenced in the Tišnov group's trial? Alois Pokorný and Vlastimil Železný, sentenced to death and executed in December 1952, and Zdeněk Čačka, sentenced to 15 years in prison.

What does the memorial look like? A rough boulder fitted with iron clasps and a metal plaque reading "OBĚTEM KOMUNISMU."