Památník obětem komunistického teroru

The Memorial to the Victims of Communist Terror is a small but meaningful monument on Anglické nábřeží (English Embankment) in Plzeň, dedicated to those persecuted under Czechoslovakia's communist regime. A marble obelisk forming part of a larger sculptural complex by the river took on this new meaning in 1993, becoming a place of remembrance for people repressed after 1948.

Where is it located?

The memorial stands on Anglické nábřeží, an embankment running along the river through the center of Plzeň, a city in western Bohemia best known for the Pilsner Urquell brewery and its historic old town. The location is deliberate: a nearby building on the same embankment once housed the Regional Command of the State Security (StB), the communist-era secret police responsible for surveillance and persecution of the regime's opponents. The memorial sits within easy walking distance of Plzeň's historic center.

Where does this monument come from?

The marble obelisk that today serves as the memorial originally formed the rear section of a larger sculptural ensemble erected during the communist period. After 1990, following Czechoslovakia's political transformation, symbolic elements tied to the former regime were removed from the original composition. In 1993, on the initiative of the city of Plzeň and the Confederation of Political Prisoners (an organization representing people persecuted under communism), the rear part of the monument was reworked into the Memorial to the Victims of Communist Terror.

What does the memorial commemorate?

The memorial recalls the suffering of political prisoners connected to Plzeň — people detained, interrogated, and repressed in the nearby StB Regional Command building on the same embankment. This physical proximity gives the memorial particular weight: it is not an abstract symbol placed at random, but a memorial standing literally a few steps from where the repression itself took place.

When is it worth visiting?

The site functions both as a permanent place of remembrance and as the setting for official commemorations. Representatives of the city of Plzeň regularly lay flowers and wreaths here to mark anniversaries connected with resistance to the communist regime, including the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution of November 1989. Outside these ceremonies, visitors will find a quiet, unassuming spot by the river, well suited to reflecting on 20th-century Czechoslovak history.

How does it fit into a visit to Plzeň?

Anglické nábřeží lies close to several other historic sites in the city, making it easy to combine a stop at the memorial with a visit to the old town, St. Bartholomew's Cathedral, or the famous brewery. For travelers interested in the more recent history of Central Europe — particularly the communist period and the political changes after 1989 — this modest site is one of the more authentic stops on the map, lacking large-scale tourist infrastructure but carrying a concrete, well-documented historical context.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Memorial to the Victims of Communist Terror? It is a marble obelisk on Anglické nábřeží in Plzeň, reworked in 1993 into a memorial honoring victims of repression under Czechoslovakia's communist regime.

Why is the memorial located here specifically? Because a nearby building on the same embankment housed the Regional Command of the State Security (StB) during the communist era, where political prisoners were detained and interrogated.

Who initiated the memorial? The transformation of the obelisk into a memorial in 1993 was initiated by the city of Plzeň together with the Confederation of Political Prisoners.

Are any ceremonies held at the memorial? Yes, city representatives regularly lay flowers there to mark anniversaries connected to resistance against communism, including the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.