In Madrid, starting today, there is a monument to a Czech who hid the ashes of Nazi victims

Madrid – Today, Madrid has a memorial for Czech František Suchý, who, as the director of the Strašnice crematorium, hid the ashes of victims of Nazism and Communism so that they could one day be buried with dignity. Among others, he also concealed the remains of several Spaniards who died in the concentration camp in Hradištko near Prague during World War II. The statue, designed by sculptor Jakub Vlček, was unveiled today by representatives of the Czech Republic and Spain. This was reported by the Czech embassy in Madrid.

The bronze statue depicts Suchý with outstretched arms. The figure is surrounded by many faces, which are meant to symbolize the faces of the people whose remains he saved. The memorial, funded by private donors, stands over three meters tall along with its granite pedestal. It is located in the Madrid Río park near the Prague Bridge.

"The statue, while rooted in the past, represents the best of what Czechs and Spaniards share," said Czech Ambassador to Madrid Libor Sečka, who initiated the creation of the memorial. According to him, the work looks towards the future. "It creates a new framework for Czech-Spanish relations, establishing a very solid foundation for future cooperation, a new framework of trust. We have something that unites us," stated the ambassador.

According to Sečka, the unveiling of the statue marked the culmination of work that lasted about two and a half years. The ambassador noted that it was complicated to convince the Spanish side that the statue would be beneficial for Madrid. At the time work on the memorial began, more than 40 other statues were waiting for a place in the Spanish capital. The criteria for placing statues in public spaces in Madrid are very strict, according to Sečka. However, the story of František Suchý captivated the Madrid city hall leadership so much that they supported the placement of the statue.

The unveiling ceremony was also attended by the governor of the Central Bohemian Region, Petra Pecková (STAN). The concentration camp in Hradištko, located in the Central Bohemian Region, was the site where several Spaniards lost their lives during World War II. Pecková told ČTK that the memorial will serve as a reminder not only of František Suchý but also of the victims of the Holocaust and the concentration camp in Hradištko. "When the ambassador approached us for collaboration, it was self-evident for us," she told ČTK.

During World War II, several thousand prisoners passed through the camp in Hradištko. The bodies of those who died or were murdered in the camp were transported to the Strašnice crematorium. Its director, František Suchý, was tasked with cremating the victims and making their ashes disappear without documentation. However, Suchý refused to comply with the orders of the Nazi authorities and, along with his son, secretly kept lists of the victims and hid urns with their ashes in the Strašnice cemetery. He managed to preserve the memory of over 2,000 victims of Nazi persecution, including several Spanish Republicans.

A documentary film titled "Ashes" by Basque director Oier Plazago was also created about the search by Spanish historians for their ancestors, which uncovered the role of Suchý and his son in concealing the remains. It premiered last year and was screened at the San Sebastián festival in the autumn.

Today's unveiling of the memorial is part of the festival Czech-Spanish Days. In the coming weeks, cultural events, an economic seminar, and a ceremonial reception at the ambassador's residence will take place in Madrid.