Jan Palach memorial to commemorate 51st anniversary of martyr's death

The newly opened memorial museum will extend its visitor hours this week

Katrina Modrá

Written by Katrina Modrá Published on 14.01.2020 14:00:16 (updated on 14.01.2020) Reading time: 1 minute

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The Jan Palach Memorial in Všetaty / photo via nm.cz
The Jan Palach Memorial in Všetaty / photo via nm.cz

The National Museum will commemorate the 51st anniversary of the self-immolation of Jan Palach with extended opening hours at the Jan Palach Memorial in Všetaty, on Thursday, January 16.

The National Museum opened the Jan Palach Memorial in Všetaty last October. The memorial originated on the site of the original Palach family home, next to which a new exhibition was built presenting Palach’s act of protest in the context of the events of the 20th century.

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A commemorative ceremony begins at 1 pm, which will be followed by a meeting in the former cinema hall in Všetaty, organized by the Jan Palach Society.

Jan Palach / photo via Wikipedia

The Jan Palach Memorial in Všetaty is open from Friday to Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm and this week on Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm.

On January 16, 1969, Charles University philosophy student Jan Palach set fire to himself in front of the National Museum on Wenceslas Square in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Three days later he died in a Prague hospital.

Palach’s self-immolation divided society and deeply affected the lives of his entire family.

The memorial to Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc in front of the National Museum / via Wikipedia

The project opens Palach’s legacy to the general public via four interactive screens. The exhibit displays several emotional objects related to the death of Jan Palach: the briefcase he carried on the day of his self-immolation, the national flag that covered his body after death, and the death mask created by sculptor Olbram Zoubek.

Admission to the property is free; more information can be found at www.nm.cz.

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