Memorial to the Seven Boys of Prace

The Memorial to the Seven Boys of Prace is a modest site of remembrance in Moravia, near Brno, marking one of the region's most tragic post-war stories. On 30 January 1951, seven boys from the village of Prace died after an unexploded ordnance from the Second World War detonated among them.

What happened in Prace in 1951?

On that day, a group of village children were playing a game of cops and robbers. Once the game ended, the boys agreed to meet at their usual spot just behind the local cemetery. Two of them, while hiding earlier in a garden near the parish house, had come across two aerial mines left over from wartime fighting. Out of curiosity, they decided to bring their find to show the rest of the group.

The dangerous object did not go off either when it was found or while it was being carried toward the cemetery. Tragedy struck only once the children gathered together and began examining the mine up close — it exploded in the middle of a group of twelve.

How many boys died, and who were they?

The explosion seriously injured twelve boys. Two died on the spot, and the remaining five died in hospital over the following days from their injuries — the tragedy unfolded across three days in total. Seven boys lost their lives: Jiříček Vávra (9), Jiříček Polívka (9), Lojzíček Vrána (12), Jiříček Čermák (12), Jeníček Müller (10), Petříček Vymazal (10), and Jeníček Plachý (10).

Why was the memorial built?

At the request of the grieving parents, a small monument was erected at the site of the explosion. Its purpose was to preserve the memory of the seven boys who died in a chance encounter with a remnant of war — a phenomenon that, in the post-war years, affected many villages across former front-line areas. The memorial's modest form reflects the local, family character of this remembrance: it is a place known mainly to residents of Prace and the surrounding area rather than a widely visited landmark.

What does this place mean today?

The memorial to the seven boys stands as a quiet testimony to how long after a war ends, its consequences can still claim lives — especially those of children unaware of the danger. For visitors exploring the area around Brno and Slavkov u Brna, the site is a significant, if rarely mentioned, historical stop, recalling the price that post-war generations paid for unexploded ordnance left behind in fields and gardens.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the memorial to the seven boys located? In the village of Prace, in the Brno-venkov district of Moravia, at the site of the 1951 explosion.

When did the explosion occur? On 30 January 1951.

How many people died in the explosion? Seven boys aged between 9 and 12, out of twelve who were injured.

What caused the explosion? An unexploded aerial mine left over from the Second World War, found by chance by the children.