Operation Anthropoid

The Operation Anthropoid Memorial stands in Prague's Libeň district, marking the exact spot where, on 27 May 1942 at 10:35 in the morning, Czechoslovak paratroopers Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík attacked Reinhard Heydrich, acting Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia. This is not a general monument to a historical event somewhere in the city — it sits precisely at the intersection of today's Zenklova street (formerly Kirchmayerova) and V Holešovičkách, near the grade-separated junction with Liberecká street, right where the ambush took place.

What exactly stands at this spot?

The centerpiece is a several-meter-tall triangular prism made of raw, deliberately corroded steel sheeting with sharp, unfinished edges. Balanced on the edges at the top are three bronze figures with outstretched arms — two representing soldiers, the third a civilian. The figures deliberately lack individualized facial features, turning them into a universal symbol of resistance rather than portraits of specific men. The monument was designed by sculptors David Moješčík and Michal Šmeral together with architects Miroslava Tůmová and Jiří Gulbis, winners of an open competition organized by the Prague 8 municipal office.

Next to the sculpture, an information panel on site explains the course of the attack, and a separate bronze plaque set into the pavement carries an inscription honoring both the assassins and the members of the Czech resistance who supported them.

Why was the memorial placed exactly here?

The location was not chosen symbolically — it is the actual bend in the road where Heydrich's car had to slow down, giving the paratroopers their window to act. The attack was part of Operation Anthropoid, planned by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in Britain, and it targeted one of the key architects of the German occupation and of the Holocaust in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Because the memorial stands directly on the route of the attack, visitors are physically standing on the spot where an event now covered in history textbooks actually unfolded.

Who does the memorial honor?

Kubiš and Gabčík trained in Britain and were parachuted into occupied Czechoslovakia to kill Heydrich, one of the principal architects of the "Final Solution" and the de facto ruler of the Protectorate. The third, civilian-dressed figure on the monument represents the Czech resistance members whose logistical support made the operation possible — they hid the paratroopers, gathered intelligence, and supplied them.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the memorial located? At the intersection of Zenklova and V Holešovičkách streets in Prague's Libeň district (Prague 8), near the grade-separated road junction with Liberecká street — the exact site of the historical attack.

How is this different from the crypt at the Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius? These are two separate but related Operation Anthropoid memorial sites. The Libeň intersection marks the location of the attack on Heydrich itself, while the crypt on Resslova street is where the paratroopers later hid and fought their final battle against the Germans. The coordinates for this location correspond to the Libeň attack site, not the crypt.

Who designed the memorial? Sculptors David Moješčík and Michal Šmeral, together with architects Miroslava Tůmová and Jiří Gulbis, as winners of a competition organized by the Prague 8 municipal authority.

Is there information on site explaining the event? Yes — an information panel at the memorial describes the course of the 27 May 1942 attack, and a bronze plaque set into the pavement carries an inscription honoring the participants.

Who do the three figures on top of the memorial represent? Two soldiers, referencing Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík, and one civilian figure symbolizing the support of the Czech resistance. None of the figures have individualized faces.