Památník padlým (Malá Buková)

Památník padlým ("Memorial to the Fallen") is a small monument in Malá Buková, a hamlet that forms part of the municipality of Velká Buková in the Rakovník District, Central Bohemian Region. It belongs to a common category of Czech village memorials — a modest commemorative marker set directly within the settlement, without any surrounding visitor infrastructure.

Where exactly is the memorial located?

Malá Buková sits in the Rakovník District, in the area roughly between the towns of Rakovník and Křivoklát. It is one of the smallest settlement parts of Velká Buková — the 2021 census recorded just 19 residents living in five houses. The memorial stands within the public space of this tiny hamlet rather than in a fenced-off site with an entrance fee or set opening hours.

What is the history of Malá Buková?

The hamlet's first written record dates to 1386. Historically, Malá Buková was tied to the mining and processing of pyrite-bearing shale: between 1598 and 1612 a smelting operation here produced sulfates, and during the Thirty Years' War, under the management of Adam Valter, the site also produced kolkotar, a red ochre pigment. The first house near the smelter went up in 1679, with more following between 1702 and 1722. The hamlet's population has shifted considerably over time, from 38 residents in 1869 down to a low of nine in 2011.

What does the memorial commemorate?

The name "Památník padlým" points directly to its commemorative purpose — a marker honoring the fallen, in the tradition common to Czech villages of all sizes. Specific names, the number of people commemorated, and the exact year the monument was erected could not be confirmed from publicly available sources; this is the kind of small-scale local memorial that tends to fall outside the main heritage databases and catalogues.

Is it worth a stop?

Malá Buková is not a tourist destination in the usual sense — there is no museum, no viewpoint, and no paid attraction here. For travelers passing through the wider Rakovník and Křivoklát area (for instance, on the way to the nearby lookout tower in Velká Buková), the memorial can serve as a brief, quiet stop that reflects on the region's history.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Památník padlým memorial in Malá Buková located? In the hamlet of Malá Buková, part of the municipality of Velká Buková, Rakovník District, Central Bohemian Region.

How many people live in Malá Buková today? According to the 2021 census, only 19 residents in five houses — making it one of the smallest settlement parts in the region.

Is the memorial freely accessible? Yes, it stands in the hamlet's public space, with no entrance fee or restricted opening hours.

Are there other historical points of interest in Malá Buková? The hamlet's history is tied to shale mining and the processing of sulfates and kolkotar (red ochre) in the 17th and 18th centuries; nearby Velká Buková also has a lookout tower.

When was the memorial built? The exact year and circumstances of its construction are not documented in publicly available sources.