Pamětní síň Alice Garrigue Masarykové a Českého červeného kříže

The Memorial Hall of Alice Garrigue Masaryková and the Czech Red Cross is a small museum in Lány, a municipality that also includes the village of Vašírov, dedicated to the daughter of the first Czechoslovak president T. G. Masaryk and her humanitarian work.

What is this place?

The house on Za Školou street was built in 1928 at Alice Garrigue Masaryková's own expense and donated to the local branch of the Czechoslovak Red Cross as a model social house — an advisory centre for mothers with young children. The ceremonial laying of the foundation stone took place on 27 May 1928, attended by President Masaryk himself, Foreign Minister Edvard Beneš, and guests from the United States. The house continued to serve as a mothers' advisory centre from its opening right up until 1991, making it a working part of the local community for more than sixty years.

Alice Masaryková founded the Czechoslovak Red Cross and served as its first chairwoman from 1919 to 1938; the organisation is the direct predecessor of today's Czech Red Cross. She is also remembered for her courage during the First World War, when she was imprisoned for resistance activity and faced a possible death sentence, yet never renounced her father or his ideals of national independence.

What will you see inside?

The memorial hall itself opened in 2002 and now operates as a branch of the T. G. Masaryk Museum in Rakovník. Its modern exhibition weaves together three connected stories: the history of the building and its decades-long role as a mothers' advisory centre, the biography and social work of Alice G. Masaryková, and the broader history of the Red Cross movement from its Czechoslovak beginnings to the present day. Documents, photographs, and personal memorabilia give visitors both the historical context and a more intimate sense of the Masaryk family's charitable legacy.

How do you get there?

Lány lies in the Kladno District of the Central Bohemian Region, not far from Prague, which makes it an easy day-trip destination from the capital. The village of Vašírov is administratively part of the Lány municipality, so the memorial hall's location falls within the same local area. The most convenient way to reach Lány is by car or bus, since the village is well connected to the surrounding district towns.

When should you visit?

It's worth combining a visit to the memorial hall with the nearby Lány Chateau and the cemetery where the Masaryk family is buried, together forming a compact route tracing the life of the first president and his family. Spring and summer are the best seasons, when opening hours at regional attractions tend to be longest — though it's worth checking the museum's current schedule beforehand, since as a small branch site it sometimes opens seasonally or by prior arrangement for groups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Alice Garrigue Masaryková? The daughter of President T. G. Masaryk, she founded and chaired the Czechoslovak Red Cross from 1919 to 1938, was socially and politically active, and was imprisoned during the First World War for her role in the independence movement.

When did the memorial hall open? The exhibition dedicated to Alice Masaryková and the Red Cross opened in 2002, while the building itself dates from 1928.

What did the building house before it became a museum? From 1928 to 1991 it served as an advisory centre for mothers with children, run by the local branch of the Czechoslovak Red Cross.

Who manages the site today? The memorial hall operates as a branch of the T. G. Masaryk Museum in Rakovník.