U památníku 2, Prague 3
Mladoboleslavská, 
near Týnec nad Sázavou, Krhanice village
The permanent exhibition of the Army Museum Žižkov is divided to three halls. The fourth hall of the Army Museum is dedicated to the seasonal exhibitions. Some of the most interesting ones were “Our artillerists then and now”, “The Western parachute units and the home resistance”, “The battle of Sokolovo 1943”, “The 1944 invasion”, “Military Radio”, one of the Military History Institute’s most successful exhibitions ever “The Assassination”, or the current “Touches of the World War Two”.
As part of seasonal exhibitions in the fourth hall, the museum cinema “Vítkov” plays wartime documents, film journals etc.
The 1914-1918 Hall
This hall is dedicated to the World War One, the war that changed the political map of Europe substantially. One of its results was the constitution of the independent Czechoslovakia – one of the succession states after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In addition to the development of the political situation in the country, and the involvement of Czech and Slovak soldiers in the troops under the black and yellow banners, most emphasis of this exposition is put into the struggle for the independent state of Czechoslovakia, whether home or abroad. Given the nature of the museum, most attention is paid to the history of the foreign troops – the Czechoslovak Legions. In this army of a yet non-existing state, over 110,000 Czech and Slovak soldiers fought the Central Powers in Serbia, Russia, Italy and France, contributing largely to the state sovereignty of Czechoslovakia.
Together with numerous unique uniforms, cold steel, small and heavy firearms, banners, marks of distinction, medals and other items, the visitors will find e.g. the artworks of important Czech artist such as Jan Štursa, František Kupka, Vincenc Makovský, Otto Guttfreund, or Vojtěch Preissig. Also presented are personal memorabilia of the Czechoslovak presidents Tomáš Garrique Masaryk and Edvard Beneš, and of many important representatives of the Czechoslovak Legions including General Rudolf Medek, who later became the director of the Liberation Monument.
The 1918-1939 Hall
This hall focuses on the historic development of the Czechoslovak Army between the world wars. In this period, Czechoslovakia, though small in size, was one of the most advanced countries in Europe, whether in political, economical or cultural terms. However, the country’s position in the international field was made difficult not only by the exposed location in the Central Europe but also by the national structure issues. Both these circumstances affected the 20-years existence of the country. Right after the state was constituted, it had to face the separatist tendencies of some important national minorities, asking for their right to self-determination. In 1919, armed conflicts broke out with the neighboring Poland and especially with Hungary; both countries demanded the revision of country borders. However, in later years, the Czechoslovak state proved its vitality and prosperity that lasted until 1930s, when the Great European Depression occurred. The hall is concluded with the exhibits from 1938 and 1939, when the integrity of the country was broken and the Czechoslovak state eventually ceased to exist.
All these events of the two decades between the world wars are documented by a large amount of domestic and foreign firearms, uniforms and other items. Remarkable are also the personal effects of the chief officers of the French military mission in Czechoslovakia, General Maurice Pellé and General Louis Faucher, of important Czechoslovak generals Stanislav Čeček, Alois Eliáš, Rudolf Medek and others. Also unique are the invaluable exhibits from the Historic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences – the collection of the highest foreign orders granted for Presidents T. G. Masaryk and E. Beneš, and the complete collection of all degrees and groups of the highest Czechoslovak order – the White Lion.
The 1918-1939 Hall
This hall is dedicated to the World War 2 and the involvement of Czech and Slovak people in the military operations on all fronts of this cruelest war ever, in the home resistance and in other activities and events aimed at the restoration of the independence of Czechoslovakia.
The war period is mapped with a number of exhibits from firearms over military banners and uniforms of various armies Understanding up to the orders, medals and other memorabilia. Present are also numerous models of the military technical devices of that time.
The rare military uniforms include the General’s uniform of the important legionnaire and the Prime Minister of the Protectorate government Alois Eliáš, who was executed by the Nazis for his collaboration with the resistance movement, or the uniform of the Commander-in-Chief of the Czechoslovak military mission in the Soviet Union, General Heliodor Píka. Also presented are the uniforms of First Lieutenant Adolf Opálka, the commander of the parachute troops that assassinated the Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Reinhard Heydrich; General Vladimír Nedvěd, the commander of the 311th bomb wing; General Karel Klapálek, the commander of the Czechoslovak military unit in the Middle East; General Ludvík Svoboda, the commander of the Czechoslovak military unit in the Soviet Union who later became the President of Czechoslovakia; First Lieutenant Otakar Jaroš, the hero of the Battle of Sokolovo; or Captain Ján Nálepka, who left the Slovak Safety Division for Soviet partisans and eventually fell in their ranks.
Also unique are the sets of medals of General Heliodor Píka, or Staff Captain Alois Vašátko, the pilot and hero of the Battle of France, or the personal effects of Staff Captain Václav Morávek, the important member of the Nation’s Defence; First Lieutenant Antonín Sochor, Hero of the Soviet Union, or Colonel František Moravec, the commander of the Czechoslovak Military Intelligence Agency, and other important personalities of the 2nd resistance.
The course of the World War 2 and the relations between the Czechoslovak resistance and the military and political circumstances are illustrated by the overviews of key events of the war, as well as the dioramas displaying the key military operation between 1939 and 1945.
As part of seasonal exhibitions in the fourth hall, the museum cinema “Vítkov” plays wartime documents, film journals etc.
The 1914-1918 Hall
This hall is dedicated to the World War One, the war that changed the political map of Europe substantially. One of its results was the constitution of the independent Czechoslovakia – one of the succession states after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In addition to the development of the political situation in the country, and the involvement of Czech and Slovak soldiers in the troops under the black and yellow banners, most emphasis of this exposition is put into the struggle for the independent state of Czechoslovakia, whether home or abroad. Given the nature of the museum, most attention is paid to the history of the foreign troops – the Czechoslovak Legions. In this army of a yet non-existing state, over 110,000 Czech and Slovak soldiers fought the Central Powers in Serbia, Russia, Italy and France, contributing largely to the state sovereignty of Czechoslovakia.
Together with numerous unique uniforms, cold steel, small and heavy firearms, banners, marks of distinction, medals and other items, the visitors will find e.g. the artworks of important Czech artist such as Jan Štursa, František Kupka, Vincenc Makovský, Otto Guttfreund, or Vojtěch Preissig. Also presented are personal memorabilia of the Czechoslovak presidents Tomáš Garrique Masaryk and Edvard Beneš, and of many important representatives of the Czechoslovak Legions including General Rudolf Medek, who later became the director of the Liberation Monument.
The 1918-1939 Hall
This hall focuses on the historic development of the Czechoslovak Army between the world wars. In this period, Czechoslovakia, though small in size, was one of the most advanced countries in Europe, whether in political, economical or cultural terms. However, the country’s position in the international field was made difficult not only by the exposed location in the Central Europe but also by the national structure issues. Both these circumstances affected the 20-years existence of the country. Right after the state was constituted, it had to face the separatist tendencies of some important national minorities, asking for their right to self-determination. In 1919, armed conflicts broke out with the neighboring Poland and especially with Hungary; both countries demanded the revision of country borders. However, in later years, the Czechoslovak state proved its vitality and prosperity that lasted until 1930s, when the Great European Depression occurred. The hall is concluded with the exhibits from 1938 and 1939, when the integrity of the country was broken and the Czechoslovak state eventually ceased to exist.
All these events of the two decades between the world wars are documented by a large amount of domestic and foreign firearms, uniforms and other items. Remarkable are also the personal effects of the chief officers of the French military mission in Czechoslovakia, General Maurice Pellé and General Louis Faucher, of important Czechoslovak generals Stanislav Čeček, Alois Eliáš, Rudolf Medek and others. Also unique are the invaluable exhibits from the Historic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences – the collection of the highest foreign orders granted for Presidents T. G. Masaryk and E. Beneš, and the complete collection of all degrees and groups of the highest Czechoslovak order – the White Lion.
The 1918-1939 Hall
This hall is dedicated to the World War 2 and the involvement of Czech and Slovak people in the military operations on all fronts of this cruelest war ever, in the home resistance and in other activities and events aimed at the restoration of the independence of Czechoslovakia.
The war period is mapped with a number of exhibits from firearms over military banners and uniforms of various armies Understanding up to the orders, medals and other memorabilia. Present are also numerous models of the military technical devices of that time.
The rare military uniforms include the General’s uniform of the important legionnaire and the Prime Minister of the Protectorate government Alois Eliáš, who was executed by the Nazis for his collaboration with the resistance movement, or the uniform of the Commander-in-Chief of the Czechoslovak military mission in the Soviet Union, General Heliodor Píka. Also presented are the uniforms of First Lieutenant Adolf Opálka, the commander of the parachute troops that assassinated the Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Reinhard Heydrich; General Vladimír Nedvěd, the commander of the 311th bomb wing; General Karel Klapálek, the commander of the Czechoslovak military unit in the Middle East; General Ludvík Svoboda, the commander of the Czechoslovak military unit in the Soviet Union who later became the President of Czechoslovakia; First Lieutenant Otakar Jaroš, the hero of the Battle of Sokolovo; or Captain Ján Nálepka, who left the Slovak Safety Division for Soviet partisans and eventually fell in their ranks.
Also unique are the sets of medals of General Heliodor Píka, or Staff Captain Alois Vašátko, the pilot and hero of the Battle of France, or the personal effects of Staff Captain Václav Morávek, the important member of the Nation’s Defence; First Lieutenant Antonín Sochor, Hero of the Soviet Union, or Colonel František Moravec, the commander of the Czechoslovak Military Intelligence Agency, and other important personalities of the 2nd resistance.
The course of the World War 2 and the relations between the Czechoslovak resistance and the military and political circumstances are illustrated by the overviews of key events of the war, as well as the dioramas displaying the key military operation between 1939 and 1945.
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