Pomník obětem fašismu

Pomník obětem fašismu (Memorial to the Victims of Fascism) is a modest memorial in Ústí nad Labem, in northern Bohemia, commemorating the victims of German occupation and the fighters for freedom during the years 1938–1945. Memorials of this type are common across Czech towns and cities, most of them erected in the postwar decades as a local expression of remembrance for the period of Nazi occupation.

What does the memorial commemorate?

The inscription reads, roughly translated, "In memory of the victims of fascism and fighters for freedom, 1938–1945" — referring both to civilian and military victims of the German occupation and to those actively involved in the resistance movement. The years 1938–1945 mark the period when Ústí nad Labem, located in the Sudetenland border region, was annexed to Nazi Germany following the Munich Agreement and remained under German occupation until the end of the Second World War.

Where is the memorial located?

The memorial stands within the city of Ústí nad Labem, in an area of municipal greenery that also contains several other commemorative sites connected to the region's wartime history. The city has a rich but difficult twentieth-century history — it was an important industrial center of the Czech-German borderland, heavily affected both by wartime occupation and by the postwar expulsion of the German-speaking population.

What kind of monument is it?

It is a stone or concrete memorial, typical of the postwar tradition of commemorating war victims in Czechoslovakia — without an elaborate sculptural form, focused instead on the inscription and a plain, restrained appearance. Memorials of this kind are today regarded as part of local historical heritage and are sometimes placed under monument protection.

Why is this place worth knowing about?

The Pomník obětem fašismu is one of many testimonies to how Czech towns have handled the memory of the Nazi occupation period. For visitors interested in the twentieth-century history of the Sudetenland region, it is an additional stop on the map of memorial sites in Ústí nad Labem, adding to the picture of the city's fate between 1938 and 1945.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name "Pomník obětem fašismu" mean? It is Czech for "Memorial to the Victims of Fascism" — it commemorates victims of the German occupation and fighters for freedom from the years 1938–1945.

Where exactly does the memorial stand? It is located within the city of Ústí nad Labem, in an area of municipal green space, near other memorial sites connected to the city's wartime history.

Is this the only war memorial in the city? No — Ústí nad Labem has several memorial sites from this period, including a separate Holocaust memorial, which is a distinct and independent monument.

What period does the inscription refer to? The years 1938–1945, from the annexation of the region to Nazi Germany following the Munich Agreement to the end of the Second World War.

Is the memorial open to the public? Yes, as a monument located in public urban space it can be freely visited.