Luhačovice was liberated 75 years ago, the town honoured the memory of the war victims

"The date of the second of May 1945 is one of the most important in the history of our city. We must appreciate the fact that Luhačovice was liberated and remember all those who contributed to it. As we can see from the period photographs, the joy of the end of the Nazi occupation and the restoration of democracy after the liberation was enormous among the inhabitants," said Mayor Marian Ležák.

"We must always remember the second of May 1945 as well as all the victims of the war. But we must also remember that freedom and democracy should be cared for even in times of peace. It is sad that only three years after the liberation from fascism, another dictatorship took over our country," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Šůstek.

As we learn from historical sources, the liberation of the town in 1945 took place without fierce fighting and without many casualties. This is how the last days were described in the Memorial Book of Luhačovice by the chronicler A. Kašpar, a teacher by profession.

"A stream of Russians was approaching Luhačovice from Uh. Brod, and Romanians were advancing from Kladná-Žilín. The last days of April were full of tension, anxiety and anticipation, as the shots in our valley echoed around us more and more menacingly, planes appeared above us, but not a single shot had fallen on the town since the August 1944 shootout over Luhačovice," the chronicler described. He also explains why the spa town managed to survive the movement of the front without harm, despite the heavy fighting in the area. "When Kladná Žilín was captured, the Germans did not retreat through Luhačovice, as was expected, but to the general surprise their wagons rumbled along the Bojkov road towards Biskupice, where the troops from Polichno were also retreating, so that Luhačovice was out of the main battle line," the teacher described.

The retreat of the troops was unobtrusive, according to the chronicler. "Most residents slept in their shelters the night of May 1-2, expecting that night to be critical. The roars that were still echoing from the forests above Luhačovice in the direction of Žilina had completely subsided by the 24th hour and not even the flares were visible," the chronicler outlined. The first troops of the liberators reached the town relatively smoothly in the morning twilight.

The threat, however, was when retreating German troops mined the area around the dam and threatened to flood the town. "There were several explosions during the night and the bridge at the dam was destroyed. "The dam itself, however, remained undamaged," the chronicler stated with relief.

How the happy accident occurred that Luhačovice remained untouched will probably never be known. The chronicler himself has several versions. "Perhaps someone from the Romanian troop leadership knew the beauty of Luhačovice. Many explain that Luhačovice was not shelled or bombed because the general wanted to protect it," the chronicler believes. However, the officers were of a different opinion and claimed that the army was 12 hours late, that it should have been in Luhačovice in the evening of 1 May and that the fascists had managed to retreat, so there was no fighting.

Following the memorial ceremony at the Liberation Monument in front of the town hall, memorial wreaths will also be placed in the coming days at other sites in Luhačovice that commemorate the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of future generations. There are several places in the town that commemorate the victims of World War II. In the cemetery there is the grave of Romanian soldiers who died during the liberation of the town in May 1945. A memorial plaque on the Sokol Hall commemorates the victims from among the members of this gymnastic organisation. Another place of remembrance is the memorial plaque on the building of the old post office, the birthplace of the cultural revivalist, soldier and doctor František Št'astný, who was martyred by the fascists in 1944. In the library there is a memorial plaque commemorating the wartime aviator Josef Šnajdra, who fought for his country as a member of the British Air Force and received many decorations. Near the chateau there is a monument to the Kužel family, murdered by the Nazis during the war.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation five years ago, we published the memories of one of the survivors of the end of the war, who described the events in Polichno, today's local part of Luhačovice. This account of the dramatic days of May 1945 can be recalled

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Categories: News from the city, Luhačovice, Luhačovice Town Hall, City of Luhačovice, Anniversary