Plaque to Josef Žemlička

The memorial plaque to Josef Žemlička stands on Jihlavská street in the Brno district of Bohunice, commemorating a sixteen-year-old apprentice shot dead during the August 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. It is one of several memorial sites scattered across Brno that mark the victims of those days.

How to get there?

The plaque hangs on the right-hand side of Jihlavská street, heading away from the city centre, level with the tower building of Brno University Hospital (Fakultní nemocnice Brno). The nearest public transport stop is "Dálniční přivaděč," just a short walk from the plaque. The site sits on the route linking central Brno with the south-western districts, making it easy to combine with a visit to Bohunice or the nearby university campus.

What happened on 21 August 1968?

Josef Žemlička, born on 25 March 1952, worked as an apprentice at the ZKL ball-bearing works in Brno. On the morning of 21 August 1968, a day after Warsaw Pact forces entered Czechoslovakia, he was watching an occupying column approach near a petrol station on Jihlavská street. Soviet soldiers fired warning shots trying to stop a motorcyclist who had not halted at their command, and Žemlička was struck in the exchange. He died while being taken to hospital.

His funeral took place on 26 August 1968 in his home village of Omice and drew a large crowd of mourners — the teenager's death became one of the enduring symbols of the tragedy that unfolded around Brno in those August days.

Who put up the plaque, and when?

The plaque was unveiled on 20 August 1991, on the eve of another anniversary of the invasion, on the initiative of Civic Forum (Občanské fórum), the political movement that after 1989 took on the task of commemorating victims of the communist regime. The bronze relief was created by sculptor Jiří Sobotka, who depicted a fallen figure alongside a stylised rendering of the Czechoslovak flag — a simple, symbolic way of conveying the abruptness and senselessness of the young man's death.

A second plaque dedicated to Josef Žemlička stands in his home village of Omice, unveiled in 2007; his grave and the local community's memory of the events are also kept there.

Why stop here?

This is not a conventional tourist attraction, but for anyone interested in the recent history of Czechoslovakia and the events of August 1968, it is a meaningful stop on the map of Brno. The plaque is a reminder that the Warsaw Pact invasion claimed civilian victims even in a city that saw no major armed clashes. Nearby, in the Brno-Líšeň district, further memorials mark other people killed on the same day, together giving a fuller picture of the tragic events that unfolded in Brno in August 1968.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Josef Žemlička? A sixteen-year-old apprentice at a Brno ball-bearing factory, shot dead on 21 August 1968 during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Where exactly is the plaque located? On Jihlavská street in Brno-Bohunice, on the right-hand side heading away from the centre, level with the University Hospital tower, near the "Dálniční přivaděč" stop.

When was the plaque unveiled, and who commissioned it? On 20 August 1991, on the initiative of Civic Forum (Občanské fórum); the bronze relief was created by sculptor Jiří Sobotka.

Is there another memorial to Josef Žemlička? Yes, a second plaque stands in his home village of Omice, unveiled in 2007.