Josef Balabán Memorial, Prague, CZ
Posted by: 
ToRo61
N 50° 06.036 E 014° 23.333
33U E 456294 N 5549995
Legend of the anti-Nazi resistance in the Czech Republic
Waymark Code: WMB7WP
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/17/2011
Views: 123
Josef Balabán (June 5, 1894 - October 3, 1941 in Prague) was a Czechoslovakian soldier mostly known for his involvement in resistance against Nazi Germany during World War II.
During World War I Balabán joined Czechoslovak Legions in Russia. Later, he served as an officer in Czechoslovakian Army, in artillery units, as a staff officer and then at the Ministry of Defense (reaching rank of lieutenant-colonel). After occupation of the rest of Czech lands by Germany in March 1939 he started to cooperate with resistance group Obrana národa (Defense of the nation) set up by former army officers. Since sumer 1939 he was one of the leaders of the group. Together with Josef Mašín and Václav Morávek they formed group known as Three Kings (Tri králové) carrying out intelligence gathering and sabotages.
The group continued in communication with Paul Thümmel (agent A-54), a Nazi intelligence officer also working as a spy for Czechoslovakia. The most visible sabotages were two bomb attacks carried out in Berlin: one in January 1941 against the Ministry of Air Travel (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) and police headquarters and second in February 1941 in the Berlin-Anhalt rail station, intended to kill Heinrich Himmler.
On April 22, 1941 Gestapo grabbed Balabán after a short gunfight. In spite of being tortured he didn't disclose any information about the resistance. After Reinhard Heydrich took position of Deputy Reichsprotektor (September 1941) martial law was established and Balabán was sentenced to death. He was executed in Ruzyne Prison on October 3.
Website pertaining to the memorial: [Web Link]
List if there are any visiting hours:
Free access
Entrance fees (if it applies): None
Type of memorial: Plaque
|
Visit Instructions:
*(1.)* Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.
*(2.)* If you have additional information about the memorial which is not listed in the waymark description, please notify the waymark owner to have it added, and please post the information in your visit log.