This morning, the Brno City Museum, in cooperation with local residents, the Moravian State Museum, the Memory of the Nation organisation and the Brno–Sever district, unveiled a commemorative plaque at the opening of a monument at Merhautova 77 to mark the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces, which took place on 21 August 1968.
The monument bears the inscription “захватчики домой – occupiers of houses”, one of the last surviving messages from the spontaneous protest of Brno citizens against the invasion.
It was unveiled in a ceremony at 11:30 am this morning, in the presence of the Mayor of Brno-sever, Martin Maleček.
“Brno has a rich history full of important events and monuments. This inscription is one of them and deserves to be preserved for future generations as proof of our determination and desire for freedom,” said Brno Mayor Markéta Vaňková.
On the night of 20-21 August 1968, Warsaw Pact forces rolled into Czechoslovakia, bringing a sudden halt to the reformist political developments of the Prague Spring. This promising political movement had raised hopes for the relaxation of strict social controls, better economic conditions, and the restoration of freedom of expression thanks to the abolition of censorship. However, the more progressive direction of Czechoslovakia was not acceptable to the conservative factions of the Czechoslovak Communist Party or the Soviet leadership.
Brno was among the first cities to be occupied, and its residents expressed their disapproval in the form of a silent protest. Black banners and anti-occupation signs in shop windows, on walls, trams and other places sent a clear message to the occupiers about the senselessness of the invasion, justified on a pretext of quelling a “fascist counter-revolution”.
The inscription on Merhautova appeared during these days, and has survived for 56 long years as a memento of the tense events of the end of August 1968. After the signing of the Moscow Protocol, which marked the end of the Prague Spring and the beginning of normalisation, all inscriptions and reminders of the occupation were carefully destroyed. It is therefore surprising that this relatively large and striking inscription has survived to this day.
“Since I was born in November 1968 and have lived nearby since then, I’ve been walking and driving by that sign all my life,” said the mayor of Brno-Sever, Martin Maleček. “When the memorialist Petr Feld called and asked about the possibility of preserving it, I was surprised that it was the only inscription preserved in Brno documenting the resistance of the people of Brno against the invasion of friendly troops. I am very glad that we could contribute to its preservation as a city district. This inscription still reminds us all that a free life is not a matter of course, because just like then, before we know it, foreign tanks could pass through.”
In the past months, the inscription has been restored and conserved by experts from the Brno City Museum. The initiative to preserve the memorial site came from local residents and the aforementioned institutions, as a way of commemorating the courage and determination of Brno residents during the occupation, and paying tribute to all those who fought for freedom and democracy.
“This sign is a reminder of the courage and solidarity of Brno residents in difficult times,” said Zbyněk Šolc, director of the Brno City Museum. “The Brno City Museum is committed to preserving this important part of our history as a testimony to the courage and resistance of our ancestors.”
