Pomník obětem bitvy u Guntramovic

Pomník obětem bitvy u Guntramovic (Monument to the Victims of the Battle of Guntramovice) is a stone burial mound remembering soldiers who fell in a clash fought here during the Seven Years' War. It stands in a quiet, wooded hill landscape on the edge of Guntramovice, part of the town of Budišov nad Budišovkou, and while it is not a grand monument, it offers something rare for a rural memorial: a precisely documented event behind it.

Where exactly is the monument located?

The site sits at an elevation of 679 metres above sea level, next to the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk, within Guntramovice, a part of the municipality of Budišov nad Budišovkou in the Opava district of the Moravian-Silesian Region. The terrain is gently hilly and partly wooded, on the edge between the Opava Lowlands and the Guntramovice Hills — the setting feels more like a hiking trail than a conventional heritage stop. Right next to the monument runs the Path of Czech-German Understanding (Cesta česko-německého porozumění), a trail linking several memorial sites tied to the shared, difficult history of Czechs and Germans in this area.

What battle does the monument commemorate?

The mound marks a mass grave of soldiers killed in the Battle of Guntramovice, fought on 28 June 1758 during the Seven Years' War. Austrian general Ernst Gideon von Laudon attacked a Prussian supply convoy that was heading toward Frederick the Great's forces besieging Olomouc. The fighting lasted around five hours, and Laudon was ultimately forced to withdraw — in narrow tactical terms, a setback for the Austrian side. Yet the delay he imposed on the Prussian supply train mattered beyond that single day: it fed into the subsequent, larger engagement near Domašov and, more broadly, into the collapse of the Prussian invasion of Moravia that summer.

What does the monument look like?

It is a stone-built mound shaped as a truncated four-sided pyramid, topped with a metal cross bearing an image of Christ. The form is plain and modest, closer to an old-fashioned memorial cairn than an elaborate battle monument — a fitting shape for a site that is, first of all, a shared grave of soldiers from both armies that fought here that day, rather than a triumphal marker for one side. A plaque at the site states that this is the mass grave of soldiers who fell in the battle in June 1758, along with a short inscription about reconciliation in shared death, underlining that troops from opposing armies rest here together.

Has the monument been restored?

Yes — it underwent restoration in 1998, which is why it remains in good condition today. Since 2002, an annual memorial mass has been held here for the fallen, so the site continues to serve an active commemorative role rather than standing only as a historical relic.

What else is nearby?

Right beside the monument stands the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk, along with stops on the Path of Czech-German Understanding mentioned above. Nearby, on Červená hora hill, visitors can also see a distinctive basalt rock formation (locally called "lávový suk") and a memorial tree known as the Golden Linden — together forming a short walking route that combines history, nature, and local collective memory.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does the monument in Guntramovice commemorate? A mass grave of soldiers who died in the Battle of Guntramovice on 28 June 1758, an Austrian-Prussian clash during the Seven Years' War.

Who fought in the battle? Austrian troops under general Ernst Gideon von Laudon attacked a Prussian supply convoy. The fighting lasted about five hours and ended with the Austrian side withdrawing.

What does the monument look like? A stone mound shaped as a truncated four-sided pyramid, topped with a metal cross bearing an image of Christ; it was restored in 1998.

Where exactly is it located? At an elevation of 679 metres, next to the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk in Guntramovice, part of the municipality of Budišov nad Budišovkou in the Opava district.

Are there any ceremonies held at the monument? Yes — since 2002, an annual memorial mass has been held here for the soldiers of both armies who died in the battle.