Souvenir hunters descend on fallen Czech towers armed with angle grinders

People are taking pieces of the demolished Liblice transmitter towers as souvenirs, with some bringing their own angle grinders and entering the restricted work site, according to the company clearing the wreckage.

The twin 355-meter masts near Český Brod, formerly Czechia’s tallest structures, were brought down Thursday. Their remains have since attracted crowds of visitors, creating what demolition contractor Kovo-Central describes as “total chaos.”

However, police said on Saturday that they had not received reports of theft, contrasting with the contractor’s account of repeated incidents and police visits.

Kovo-Central co-owner Jakub Hudec told iDNES.cz that the company had offered to give people small pieces of the towers by prior arrangement.

Workers would cut souvenirs for people who contacted the company, including by email. Instead, he said, many visitors were taking material themselves.

“People bring their own angle grinders,” Hudec said. He described people entering through bushes despite barriers and a prohibition on access, and approaching excavators while crews worked.

Hudec also alleged that organized groups had stolen cutting-equipment components and keys to an excavator and employees’ cars.

The company has increased security and introduced day and night shifts as it works to reduce the area occupied by the wreckage. Hudec said it hoped to finish clearing the steel by the end of October.

Police spokesperson Vlasta Suchánková told iDNES.cz that officers were primarily addressing traffic problems, including visitors parking on first-class roads.

She said the company had hired private security and should report suspected theft or incidents its guards could not handle to the emergency number 158. As of Saturday afternoon, police had received no such notification, she said.

Petr Žák, who runs the Facebook page Jednou stopou Českem, described dozens of cars and visitors at the site. Some respected the tape marking the restricted area, while others carried electrical components, insulators and fittings to their vehicles, he said.

The towers had dominated the surrounding landscape since the Liblice B transmitter entered service in December 1976. Czech Radio ended its medium-wave broadcasts from the site in 2021, and its final broadcasting use ended in March 2025.

Owner České Radiokomunikace proceeded with demolition after failing to find a buyer able to fund repairs estimated at a minimum of CZK 170 million.

Both masts fell simultaneously at approximately 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Their steel is being cut into smaller sections for transport and recycling.

The demolition has left the 347.5-meter Krašov transmitter in western Bohemia as Czechia’s tallest structure. At Liblice, the remaining wreckage is still an active demolition site, with public access prohibited.