Czech President Petr Pavel warns of underestimating threats at Ležáky memorial

President Petr Pavel addressed a commemorative ceremony in Ležáky on 21 June 2026, marking the 84th anniversary of the Nazi‑destroyed village. He urged the Czech public to pay attention to warning signs that previously led to conflicts, saying, “We live in peace and relative abundance, so we tend to believe that this is how it should be… History reminds us we must care for peace every day.” Pavel highlighted the dangers of complacency, drawing parallels between current global tensions and the devastation of World War II. The ceremony began with a morning mass, followed by wreath‑laying, reading the names of the murdered villagers, a prayer, and concluded with a fire lighting and a parachute‑jump display by military paratroopers. The site, now a national cultural monument, commemorates the massacre of villagers by the Nazis in June 1942.