Passport to the Past

Tucked under the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius, in Prague’s colorful Nove Mesto, there lies a crypt that is largely overlooked by the passing world. A simple memorial honoring the brave spirits of seven Czech and Slovak men can be found in this dark space. To the Czech people, these men are national heroes; to most of the world, these men are unknown. From everyone, however, respect and admiration be shown; for it was in this space that the courage of the Czech people was personified against a brutal and ruthless occupying force.
Upon descending the crypt’s stone stairs and feeling the cool air of history lightly hit your face, one is instantly drawn into the fascinating and inspiring story of the Czech Resistance to Hitler’s Third Reich. The catacomb where the participants of Reinhard Heydrich’s assassination hid is now a historical site known as “Narodni Pamatnik Hrdinu Heydrichiady” or “National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror”. It was in this damp space that I learned a lesson in not just history, but on what composes the spirit of the Czech people and culture.
The last words of these heroes, "Nevzdáme se. Nikdy. Jsme Ceši, “We will not surrender. Never. We are Czech.” continue to echo in the memories and actions of the Czech people. The memorial is a place of deep cultural and spiritual significance for them, a place for pilgrimage and prayer. While walking through the crypt, I observed letters from all over the Czech Republic and poppy flowers lain in the spot where the paratroopers had fallen. The fresh flowers left at the foot of the memorial starkly contrasted with the cold ambiance of the tomb itself. They serve as powerful symbols of the beauty the Czech people find in even the direst of circumstances.
The memorial is a lesson in how the human spirit overcame adversity to make Prague the prospering cultural masterpiece it is today. A visitor who takes the time to explore this jewel near the Vltava will be left with a new appreciation for the character and resolve of the Czech people and will view Prague through the same lens of justice and patriotism as the souls who laid down their lives in a dark and lonely crypt some 70+ years ago.