Památník obětem železné opony

Memorial to the Victims of the Iron Curtain stands in Svatý Kříž near Cheb, right by the former border crossing to Waldsassen in Germany. It commemorates people who died between 1948 and 1989 trying to cross the heavily guarded border that once separated communist Czechoslovakia from the West.

How to get there?

The memorial sits beside road 214, on the route of a former patrol path that ran along the old state border, in the village of Svatý Kříž, part of the Cheb municipality. It's a short drive or bike ride from central Cheb toward the German border near Waldsassen. The site also lies on a cycling route that traces the former Iron Curtain, linking memorial points along the old Czechoslovak-German border. Admission is free and the memorial is accessible year-round.

What will you see?

The centerpiece consists of two hollow metal columns set on a raised circular platform, joined by a chain whose middle link is broken. The composition symbolizes severed bonds and the shackles that people trying to reach the West broke through their own determination — often paying for it with their lives. The sculpture was created by academic sculptor Antonín Kašpar, with the architectural setting designed by Jaroslav Šusta. The memorial was initiated by historian and writer Václav Jiřík, who spent years documenting the fate of victims along the Czech western border.

The monument lists the names of 82 people who died along this stretch of the border — shot by guards, killed by electrified fencing, or died in other ways while trying to cross to the other side between 1948 and 1981. The list, though extensive, isn't complete; documentation of many cases is still the subject of ongoing historical research.

The memorial was unveiled on June 27, 2006, on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Communist Regime. It was built on the initiative of the city of Cheb, with financial support from the state and the regional government. The ceremony included a consecration by vicar Filip Zdeněk Lobkowicz, and among those present was Jiří Dienstbier, the first post-1989 Minister of Foreign Affairs — himself a symbol of the changes that made unveiling such a memorial possible.

Why visit?

This is a place of historical and reflective significance rather than tourist entertainment. For anyone interested in Czechoslovakia's recent history and the fate of people who tried to escape across the Iron Curtain, it offers something museum displays cannot: the memorial stands exactly where the guarded border once ran. The quiet, green surroundings today stand in stark contrast to the history the sculpture recalls.

When to visit?

The memorial can be visited year-round, as it's outdoors and requires no reservation. Spring and summer are ideal for combining a visit with the cycling route that follows the former border, while autumn and winter give the site a starker, more contemplative mood that suits its purpose well.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the memorial in Svatý Kříž near Cheb dedicated to? To the victims who died between 1948 and 1989 trying to cross the guarded border between communist Czechoslovakia and West Germany.

Who designed the memorial? The sculpture was created by academic sculptor Antonín Kašpar, with the architectural setting by Jaroslav Šusta, on the initiative of historian Václav Jiřík.

How many names appear on the memorial? It lists 82 people who died along this section of the border between 1948 and 1981 — shot, electrocuted, or killed in other circumstances.

When was the memorial unveiled? On June 27, 2006, on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Communist Regime, attended among others by Jiří Dienstbier.