Pomník padlým v I. a II. světové válce

Pomník padlým v I. a II. světové válce (Monument to the Fallen of the First and Second World Wars) stands in Jinačovice, a small village in the Brno-venkov district of South Moravia, right in front of the local school building. It is a modest memorial to villagers who died in both world wars — and one with a turbulent story of its own, since the monument standing today is already the second version erected in Jinačovice.

When was the first monument built, and what happened to it?

The original memorial was unveiled on 30 July 1922 at the municipal building numbered č.p. 4, honoring villagers who had died in the First World War. Funds for its construction came from contributions by the local Sokol organization and the volunteer fire brigade — two associations that played a central role in the social life of small Czech villages at the time. The monument lasted less than four decades. In 1958, during a dance party at the local inn, some intoxicated guests damaged it so severely that it could no longer be repaired.

What does the current monument look like, and when was it built?

A new monument went up the following year, in 1959, this time in front of the school building. It consists of two marble plaques. The black marble plaque bears the names of fifteen Jinačovice residents who died as soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army during the First World War — among them Antonín Cibulka, Jan Dvořáček, Adolf Hrabal, Antonín Jebáček, František Kazda, Hynek Krejčí, Alois Kříž, two men both named Antonín Kučera, Pavel Lazar, Hynek Málek, Leopold Ondráček, Čeněk Pospíšil, Karel Sládek, and Rudolf Stodůlka.

Who does the white plaque commemorate?

The second, white marble plaque is dedicated to victims of the Second World War. It includes, among others, the merchant Pavel Hornoch, who died in a concentration camp, and the pilot Jaroslav Jebáček, who was killed in England. The plaque also names eight Jinačovice residents who died during the fighting that took place in the village at the very end of the war. Together, the two plaques record roughly twenty-five names from both conflicts — a substantial number for such a small village, and a reminder of how deeply both wars affected this local community.

Has the monument been restored since?

Yes. In May 1992 the monument underwent repair work, which cost 930 Czechoslovak crowns. Thanks to that restoration, the names on both plaques remain legible today, and the memorial continues to serve as the village's main site of remembrance.

Why is it worth a stop?

Jinačovice sits off the main tourist routes around Brno, but for anyone interested in twentieth-century Central European history, the monument in front of the school is striking evidence of how the world wars left their mark even on the smallest communities. The fate of the first monument — destroyed in a drunken act barely a decade and a half after it was built — and the villagers' decision to quickly put up a replacement show how much the memory of their fallen neighbors mattered to them. It is a place easily visited in passing, without a dedicated trip: a short stop by the school is enough to read the names.

Frequently asked questions

What does the monument in Jinačovice commemorate? It commemorates villagers who died in the First and Second World Wars — soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army from 1914–1918, and victims of the Second World War, including people who died in concentration camps, a fallen pilot, and residents killed during the fighting at the end of the war.

Is this the original 1922 monument? No. The original 1922 memorial was destroyed in 1958 during an incident involving intoxicated guests at a village dance. The current monument was built in 1959 in front of the school building.

How many names appear on the plaques? The black plaque lists fifteen victims of the First World War, and the white plaque lists Second World War victims, including eight people killed during fighting in the village. Together the two plaques record around twenty-five names.

Where exactly does the monument stand? In front of the school building in Jinačovice, a village in the Brno-venkov district of South Moravia.

Has the monument been restored? Yes, it underwent repair work in May 1992.