Ratiboř

In connection with renovations to the ground floor of the municipal office building, the original memorial plaque with the names of World War II victims was removed. The mayor therefore asked members of the working group focused on the historical events of Ratiboř to assess the condition of the memorial site and prepare a new and dignified design for it.

We checked all the names on the memorial plaque, their dates of birth and death, and added the names of those who were killed, executed, or died as a result of torture during the occupation in 1939–1945.

Ondřej Haša deserves great credit for supplementing the factual data. Thanks to his research work and mutual cooperation with me, we managed to expand the original list of twelve victims by another twelve names. In total, the new memorial plaque lists 24 people connected with our village. Based on the new findings, we corrected several errors from the original plaque.

The author of the new composition of the memorial site is academic architect Libor Sošťák. As a background for the memorial plaque, he chose a motif from one of the oldest preserved postcards of Ratiboř, which exudes history and symbolically connects the village with the fates of those whose names are listed on the plaques. The names of the victims are listed alphabetically so that none are given preference. The stainless steel memorial plaques are mounted on a brushed ash board with a patina matching the historical photo wallpaper of the village. The memorial complex is complemented by a ceramic vase under the memorial plaque, the work of Libor Sošťák Jr.

The concept makes a dignified and balanced impression, and the author has rendered it with sensitivity and respect. For all who pass by, it will serve as a quiet but urgent reminder of the horrific years of occupation and the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens.

Thanks for the work on the overall reconstruction go to our friends from LG (Honza Janíček, Olda Matula, Libor Sošťák, Vlastík Škarpa) and also to Štěpán Janíček and Jana Pišťáková Vaculíková, who played a significant role in preparing the new installation. A big thank you goes to Zdeněk Daňo, Aleš Kořenek, Tomáš Galetka, and Invista. Thank you to the Ratiboř Municipal Office for their excellent support and cooperation.

Stanislav Haša