The repaired Kobyliská shooting range has reopened

Prague - The repaired Kobyliská shooting range in Prague, the site where the Nazis executed hundreds of people during World War II, has been reopened to the public. The national monument has been cleared, received new paving, and will now be monitored by a camera system. The reconstruction cost about 13 million crowns, said Prague 8 councilor Anna Kroutil (independent for ANO) at the ceremonial opening.

The Kobyliská shooting range was built in 1890, initially serving for infantry training. The Nazis executed more than 500 people here during the war from May 30 to July 3, 1942, including writer Vladislav Vančura, journalist and athlete Evžen Rošický, and the chairman of the protectorate government, Alois Eliáš. The shooting range is now a national cultural monument.

According to the mayor of Prague 8, Roman Petrus (ČSSD), the condition of the monument had gradually deteriorated, being damaged by vandals and overpopulated wild boars from the nearby forest. The town hall, therefore, repaired the site of the death of many Czech patriots with the help of funds from the European Union and the Ministry of Defense.

The shooting range has been cleared, new paving, irrigation, and camera systems have been installed. The entrance will now be able to be closed at night. More than a year ago, the plaques with the names of the victims and the support walls with verses and mosaics were also restored.

Defense Minister Martin Stropnický (ANO) today reminded in his speech that it has been over 70 years since the wave of executions. "The names of the victims inscribed on the memorial plaques are still with us as a warning and reminder for future generations," he noted.

Mayor Petrus recalled the fate of four policemen who were executed in July 1943 during a public execution for their cooperation with the resistance at the Kobyliská shooting range. The Nazis brought dozens of Czechoslovak soldiers and policemen to witness the shooting. According to Petrus, the condemned policemen refused blindfolds and handcuffs and shouted glory to Czechoslovakia and President Edvard Beneš. "The Nazis could never organize this event again simply because it spread quickly among the police and the resistance, and it was positively welcomed by the resistance," he said.