Behind the poppies: Free Prague exhibition tells 18 veterans’ stories

Eighteen veterans, more than a century of history and a free exhibition in the heart of Prague: a new outdoor display on Mariánské náměstí introduces the people behind the uniforms.

Praha válečným veteránům—Prague Honors War Veterans—opened Nov. 10 beside the New Town Hall. Its 20 panels follow lives connected with World War I, resistance to Nazi occupation and the Czech military’s modern overseas operations.

The exhibition and an accompanying glass-box installation are freely accessible through Nov. 19, according to the Military History Institute’s latest announcement.

Prepared by the city and the Military History Institute Prague, the exhibition looks beyond combat records to explore veterans’ personal experiences and connections with the capital.

Some were born in Prague; others spent significant parts of their lives there. Together, their stories connect major historical events with individual decisions, service and sacrifice.

Large photographs accompany the accounts, which draw partly on material preserved by veterans’ families.

These include documents from the family of General Rudolf Medek, who served with the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia and helped establish Czechoslovakia’s military museums, and the estate of Colonel Ladislav Preininger, an important figure in the early resistance to Nazi occupation.

Other archival material explores the contribution of the Sokol movement to the establishment of Czechoslovakia and resistance during World War II. A separate installation in a glass display box combines military uniforms with red poppies.

The display also brings remembrance into the present through veterans of more recent overseas operations, broadening the focus beyond the two world wars.

The exhibition marks Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the anniversary of the 1918 armistice that ended fighting on World War I’s Western Front.

Its red poppies recall the flowers that grew on the battlefields of Flanders and inspired Canadian military doctor John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields. Today, the symbol honors both those who died and veterans living with the consequences of service.

Prague’s New Town Hall is also being illuminated in the Czech tricolor on Nov. 11, from 6 to 11 p.m.

The city’s commemorations support the Vlčí mák České republiky fundraising campaign. Proceeds go through the Military Solidarity Fund to assist soldiers, veterans and their families in difficult circumstances.

For visitors, the outdoor location offers a straightforward opportunity to explore the stories while passing through the Old Town, without booking a museum visit.

Visit: Mariánské náměstí, Prague 1. Free admission through Nov. 19. More information is available from the Military History Institute Prague.