The Legacy of Lidice Lives On
In defiance of Nazi Germany's effort to erase it from history, Lidice lives on in the Czech Republic.
Nazi Control in Present Day Czech Republic
World War II resulted in damage and destruction throughout Europe. Cities were left in ruin. One small village in what is now the Czech Republic drew the worst ire of Adolf Hitler. When the Nazis moved on, the village was completely destroyed. This small village - Lidice.
Nazi Germany had occupied ad annexed Bohemia and Moravia since April of 1939. While under Nazi control, Reinhard Heydrich served as the General of Police. He acted as the Protectorate of the annexed territory.
A Rebellious Assassination Succeeds
After three years of Nazi occupation, locals had grown frustrated. On a late May day in 1942, Heydrich was traveling to his office at a nearby castle. While en route, two men, a Slovak and a Czech, attacked Heydrich.
The men, Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis had been sponsored by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile to be trained by Great Britain. After completing their training, they successfully parachuted into Bohemia. Operation Anthropoid was underway.
The two men stepped out and threw a grenade at Heydrich’s car as it came to a stop in front of them. Heydrich was wounded by the explosion and sat down in the street. Kubis and Gabcik fled and were able to escape.
A local Czech woman came to Heydrich’s aid and helped flag down a van to take him to the hospital. At Bulovka Hospital, Heydrich endured significant medical attention. His condition improved except for a nagging fever.
Despite recommendations to use a new antibacterial drug, the physician, who Himmler had sent to care for Heydrich, chose a different course. Heydrich would die from infection on June 4th.
Exacting Revenge
Back in Germany, Adolf Hitler was furious. Immediately following the attack, the Nazis placed nearby Prague under curfew. They searched 36,000 houses in search of the attackers and anyone who had helped them.
By the time Heydrich had succumbed to his wounds, the Nazis had already executed 157 people believed to be connected to the attack. Despite the Nazi efforts, the assassins remained unknown. And no information was forthcoming from locals.
Hitler grew despondent. He ordered immediate retaliation in Lidice. It was known that the town had several residents connected to the continued Czech resistance. Hitler eyed revenge.
No Mercy and No End to the Destruction
His orders were simple. Execute all men, transport women to a concentration camp, collect suitable children for Germanization, and destroy the village. The Nazis were determined to make up for Heydrich’s death.
Shortly after midnight on June 10, the Nazis pulled into Lidice. They awoke the villagers and herded them all to the town’s main square. With everyone present, the Nazis carried out their orders.
Men were separated and shuffled to a local farm belonging to the Horak family. Lining mattresses along the wall (to prevent ricochets), they proceeded to execute the men by gunfire. The shooting began around 7:00 am and carried on into the early afternoon. In the end, 173 men lay dead.
Women and children were placed in a school outside of Lidice before being separated. On the 14th of June, a train arrived destined for Ravensbruck. Women who were not pregnant were loaded onto the trains. They would work in factories while detained.
The Nazis had a different destination in mind for pregnant women. They were transported to the hospital where Heydrich died and forced to undergo abortions. Following the procedure, they were shipped out to various concentration camps.
Just under 90 Lidice children were sent to Lodz. They were given little to no care, and many suffered from illness and poor hygiene. While in Lodz, officials from the Central Race and Settlement branch arrived to select children for Germanization. They’d select seven.
The remaining children were handed over to the local Gestapo office. It is believed that Adolf Eichmann ordered their massacre. The Gestapo office would send the remaining Lidice children to the Chelmno extermination camp. There they were gassed.
Erasing Lidice From the World
Back in Lidice, the village was set ablaze. As the fire died, the Nazis placed explosives around any building remains. The animals and pets of the town were rounded up and slaughtered. They didn't stop there. In the small town cemetery, remains were dug up and looted for gold fillings and jewelry.
Their last objective was to ensure the world never knew of Lidice. A work party was brought in to remove all visible remains of the village. The stream and roads were re-routed. The entire area that once was a village was covered in topsoil and planted.
Two weeks later, the neighboring village of Lezaky suffered a similar fate. Discovering a radio transmitter linked to the underground team that parachuted in with Kubis and Gabcik, the Nazis executed 33 men and women. It is believed some 1,300 people were killed in retaliation for the death of Heydrick.
Resurrected In Quiet Defiance
Today, you can find a small town in Illinois by the name of Lidice. It has carried that name since 1942. Also today, in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic is a familiar sight. Rebuilt alongside a memorial that includes 82 bronze statues of children, sits the town of Lidice. As small now as it was then, at just under 600 residents, Lidice - in defiance - lives on.
History for the Hurried:
June 16, 1963: Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space as her Soviet spacecraft, Vostok 6, took off from the Tyuratam launch site. The Space Race would only heat up from there.
June 18, 1983 - Dr. Sally Ride, a 32-year-old physicist and pilot, became the first American woman in space. A few years later another American woman sought space, but suffered a tragedy.