May 1945: 80 years since the end of the Second World War

The last battle of World War II in Europe

27. April-10 May 2025

The exhibition on the 17th November Square, prepared in cooperation between the Municipal Cultural Centre and the Mining Museum Příbram, will present the day-by-day events in Příbram 80 years ago through unique photographs and texts prepared by the museum's director Josef Velfl.

Příbram and the end of World War II in Europe

5. May 2025

A lecture by Josef Velfl, Director of the Mining Museum Příbram, at 6 pm in the Junior Club will present to the public a wealth of previously unpresented materials and the results of the latest research on the issue of the end of World War II in Europe, culminating in the events of May 1945 in the Příbram region.

The last battle of World War II in Europe at Slivice in the Příbram region

5. May-31 December 2025

The Vojna Memorial, a branch of the Mining Museum Příbram, is hosting an exhibition of historical documents scripted by the director of HM Příbram, Josef Velfel. It is also available online, in Czech and English language versions. It contains a number of hitherto less known or completely unknown documents about the end of World War II in the Příbram region.

Commemorative acts

7. May 2025

At 10.00 a.m. there will be commemorative acts at the Memorial at Hvězdička, then at the Příbram cemetery and finally at the Březohorské cemetery in honour of those who fell during World War II in the Příbram region. At the same time, the so-called Stones of the Disappeared will be unveiled in Pražská Street, followed by a commemorative meeting at the memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

Exhibition on the anniversary of the end of the war: Nový Knín 1945

9. May-19 September 2025

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Nový Knín Gold Museum, a branch of the Mining Museum Příbram, has prepared an exhibition of historical photographs and period documents. Visitors can see images depicting the end of the war in Nový Knín and its surroundings, supplemented by materials from the chronicles of local anti-fascist fighters. The opening will take place on Wednesday, 8 May at 16.00 and will be accompanied by live music performed by Austrian jazz singer Sophie Lamoš. The exhibition will run from 9 May to 19 September 2025 and will be open daily except Mondays during normal museum opening hours.

Commemoration of the Battle of Slivice

10. May 2025

The Victory Memorial at Slivice near Milín will be the venue for a commemorative programme on Saturday 10 May to mark the 80th anniversary of the last battle of World War II in Europe. The event is organised by the municipality of Milín and the Mining Museum Příbram, in cooperation with the town of Příbram, the Army of the Czech Republic, the Police of the Czech Republic, the Fire Brigade of the Central Bohemia Region and military history clubs. The programme will start at 10.00 a.m. with an exhibition of historical military equipment and weapons of military history clubs. At 1 p.m., a commemorative act will be followed by the fanfare of the Svatohorské trumpeters. Representatives of the organisers will pay tribute to the fallen and the director of the Mining Museum Příbram, Josef Velfl, will recall the events associated with the end of the war in the Příbram region. The imaginary highlight of the programme will be the commemoration of the battle, which starts at 14.00. It will include, and undoubtedly be a great attraction, demonstrations of the battles that took place in this region from 11 to 12 May 1945 and went down in military history as the last battle of World War II in Europe.

May 1945 in Pribram

14. May 2025

Lecture by Vera Smolová, Director of the State District Office in Příbram. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. And how was it in Příbram? In 2020, the State District Archive Příbram published a set of about 50 photographs from that time. This year, it will present the photo album May 1945 in Příbram. Approximately 210 photographs by bank clerk Oldřich Ptáček show Soviet soldiers and Příbram residents, including women dressed in local costume. The background of the photographs is made up of Příbram's corners - today's T. G. Masaryk Square, Plzeňská Street, Sokol Hall, Nad Kaňkou Street, Čs. Army, the infirmary in one of the schools in Pribram, the garden of Čížek's villa, the Pribram cemetery and others.

A Few Days to Peace or Příbram in May 1945

17. May 2025

A commemorative event to mark the end of the Second World War in the Příbram region will take place from 12.00 to 18.00. The event will feature a programme for the public, who can look forward to period soldiers' camps with historical military equipment, demonstrations of uniforms, equipment and weaponry, presentations of the basic units of the Integrated Rescue System, military history clubs, car-motor veterans, airsoft shooting range and much more. The programme will include two combat demonstrations. One of them will be aimed at commemorating the events of the end of World War II in the Příbram region in May 1945.