Milada Horáková’s voice lives on as Prague marks 75 years since her execution

On the morning of June 27, 75 years ago, Milada Horáková was executed by hanging in the courtyard of Pankrácká Prison after being convicted of conspiracy and treason in a Stalinist show trial.

On this tragic milestone in the history of communist-era persecution in then Czechoslovakia, Prague is commemorating the legacy of Horáková and her opposition against the single-party communist system. Banners, murals, art exhibits, and more filling the city this week in her honor.

Prague 2 holds a special connection to Horáková, being her place of birth in the Královské Vinohrady area. Raised on what is now known as Rumunská Street, Milada’s early education began at the Vinohrady grammar school in Korunní and continued at the girls’ lyceum in Slezská.

She later became a member of the pre-war Czechoslovak National Social Party and was active in the women’s rights movement and a staunch opponent of both fascist and communist totalitarianism.

During World War II, she was imprisoned by the Nazis for her resistance activities, and after the war, she returned to public life, serving as a member of parliament. Her refusal to conform to the rising communist regime made her a target; despite growing political pressure, she continued to advocate for democratic values, ultimately leading to her arrest, show trial, and execution in 1950.

This year, the Prague 2 City Council has taken a definitive stand by joining the manifesto of the civic association Dekomunizace, a group dedicated to commemorating the crimes of communism through peaceful, public actions. 

In line with this commitment, the City Hall has prominently displayed a thematic banner on the district’s building at Náměstí Míru. The council’s digital presence is also joining the initiative “Milada 75: Murdered by Communists” on its website and social networks.

In the Lucerna arcade, the organization One World in Schools has opened an exhibition dedicated to women who stood up to oppression. Running until June 29, the exhibit offers a look into the lives and struggles of women who defied injustice. 

Complementing this, the audiovisual exhibition INVINCIBLE was launched as part of the anniversary observances. Open until the end of the week, the exhibit recounts Horáková’s life and her tragic death.

A memorial service will see participants gather at several key locations: the memorial plaque in Rumunská Street, the monument in the Ztracenka Garden in Albertov, where a memorial to victims of totalitarianism stands; and the symbolic grave of Horáková and other victims at Vyšehrad Cemetery, near the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.

Perhaps the most enduring commemoration of Horáková is the one recently unveiled on the street named in her honor. Milady Horáková in Prague’s Letná district has received a new mural by arts collective Toy Box with Horáková’s portrait looking across to the Church of St. Anthony of Padua.

On June 27, original posters with the portrait will be distributed to businesses along the street and displayed in shop windows. Members of the public can also pick them up from the city hall and the NILA Letná store. 

At the foot of the mural is a quote from Horáková’s widely republished letters to her family prior to her execution: “Walk through the world with your eyes open and listen not only to your own pain, but also to that of others.”