The village of Ležáky was completely liquidated, with almost all its inhabitants, including children, executed or sent to concentration camps.
The destruction of Ležáky was linked to the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, as the village had been providing shelter to paratroopers involved in the resistance.
Only two children from the village, Jarmila and Marie Šťulíkovi, survived the war after being selected for 'Germanization'.
The original village consisted of only eight houses and a mill.
The stone crosses placed on the site indicate the exact locations where the houses once stood before they were burned down.
The memorial was officially declared a National Cultural Monument of the Czech Republic in 2008.
A specialized stone memorial featuring an eye motif serves as the centerpiece of the site, symbolizing the watchful memory of the tragedy.
The site is managed by the Lidice Memorial, which also oversees the site of the Lidice massacre.
Národní Kulturní Památník Ležáky is a memorial site located on the grounds of a former village destroyed by Nazi forces on June 24, 1942. The village was razed and its residents murdered in retaliation for hiding members of the Silver A resistance group. Today, the site serves as a national cultural monument, preserving the memory of the victims and the history of the resistance. The memorial area features the foundations of the original buildings marked by stone crosses. A museum provides historical context through documentation, photographs, and artifacts related to the Anthropoid and Silver A operations. The landscape is designed as a peaceful, grassy clearing surrounded by dense forest, emphasizing the scale of the village's disappearance. It remains one of the most significant sites commemorating the anti-Nazi resistance in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
The central memorial stone with the eye symbol, framed by the surrounding valley landscape.
Walk the perimeter trail to view the surrounding landscape and understand the isolation of the original village.
Visit the small museum building first to better understand the historical context before walking the memorial grounds.
Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the site is primarily a flat, grass-covered outdoor area.
Treating the site as a recreational park or picnic area; it is a place of profound tragedy and solemn commemoration.
Closed on Mondays throughout the year.
Maintain a quiet, respectful demeanor suitable for a memorial site.
