Plaque of Antonín Kalina

The Antonín Kalina Memorial Plaque honors a native son of Třebíč who, as a prisoner in the Buchenwald concentration camp during the Second World War, saved the lives of more than nine hundred Jewish boys. The plaque hangs in Třebíč's Jewish quarter, in a location tied directly to the town's Jewish history, and is one of several places in the town that keep his memory alive.

Where exactly is the plaque located?

The plaque is mounted on the building of the former Jewish school in Třebíč's Jewish quarter (in the Podklášteří cadastral area), close to the Rear Synagogue (Zadní synagoga). This is the same part of town where a memorial hall dedicated to Kalina opened in 2017, and where a further plaque was unveiled at the New Cemetery in 2021.

When was the plaque unveiled, and what does it commemorate?

The plaque was unveiled in September 2015. It commemorates Antonín Kalina and his rescue of more than nine hundred Jewish boys — children who survived their imprisonment in the Buchenwald concentration camp thanks to his actions.

Who was Antonín Kalina?

Antonín Kalina was born on 17 February 1902 in Třebíč and died on 26 November 1990 in Prague. During the war he was held in the Buchenwald concentration camp as a political prisoner. Serving as the prisoner functionary (Blockältester) of the so-called Block 66, he used his position to shield the Jewish boys held there — obstructing selections, falsifying records, and organizing help — and in this way more than nine hundred of them survived.

What honors did he receive after his death?

In 2012, Antonín Kalina was posthumously recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, Israel's highest honor for non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Two years later, in 2014, he was also awarded the Czech Medal of Merit.

What other places in Třebíč are connected to Antonín Kalina?

Besides the plaque itself, the same part of town — the Jewish quarter, near the Rear Synagogue — is home to the Antonín Kalina Memorial Hall, ceremonially opened in February 2017 on the 115th anniversary of his birth, with an exhibition dedicated to the children he saved. A further memorial plaque was unveiled at Třebíč's New Cemetery in October 2021.

Why is this site worth a visit?

Třebíč's Jewish quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the best-preserved complexes of its kind in Central Europe. The Antonín Kalina plaque adds a distinct layer to that setting: a testimony to a local story shaped by the Holocaust that, unlike many others from the region, ends in survival rather than only tragedy.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Antonín Kalina? A Czech born in Třebíč who, as a political prisoner at the Buchenwald concentration camp, saved the lives of more than nine hundred Jewish boys.

Where in Třebíč is the plaque located? On the building of the former Jewish school in the town's Jewish quarter, in the Podklášteří cadastral area, near the Rear Synagogue.

When was the plaque unveiled? In September 2015.

What honors did Kalina receive? Righteous Among the Nations in 2012 (posthumously), and the Czech Medal of Merit in 2014.

Are there other places in Třebíč commemorating Kalina? Yes — the Antonín Kalina Memorial Hall, opened in 2017 in the Jewish quarter, and a plaque at the New Cemetery, unveiled in 2021.