The Prague Museum is unveiling a remarkable exhibition marking 80 years since the Prague Uprising at the end of World War II.

The centerpiece: original fragments of the Old Town Hall bell, destroyed in 1945, alongside a reconstruction of its original sound.

The exhibition opens free to the public on May 5, located on the ground floor of the Old Town Hall.

The display includes preserved parts of the 14th-century bell, a replica model created from 3D-scanned fragments, and an audio rendering of how the bell likely sounded before it was silenced during the war.

This special exhibition is part of a broader memorial project honoring the 80th anniversary of the 1945 uprising, which also features commemorative events, lectures, and a public procession through central Prague.

The museum had 46 preserved fragments of the destroyed bell in storage. These pieces were carefully scanned with 3D technology and then printed at a quarter scale.

Collaborating with a Czech bell foundry, researchers were able to reconstruct the bell’s profile and tone.

Its recreated sound will be played publicly for the first time during a commemorative event on May 5, 2025, and again on May 8 at 4:00 p.m., marking the exact hour the bell fell silent in 1945.

Memorial Events Across the City

To commemorate the uprising, the museum is organizing a memorial march on May 5 from the National Theatre to Old Town Square. The route passes through three symbolic barricade points: Národní třída, the Estates Theatre, and Železná Street.

In the afternoon and evening, the names of 3,000 victims of the Prague Uprising will be read aloud on Old Town Square in a public remembrance event.

A complete program of all activities surrounding the anniversary can be found at prazske-povstani.cz.

A Brief Look at the Prague Uprising

The Prague Uprising began on May 5, 1945, just days before the end of WWII in Europe. Czech resistance fighters launched a coordinated effort to liberate the city from Nazi occupation. They succeeded in forcing the German garrison to surrender, preventing further civilian casualties, and accelerating the arrival of the Red Army.

However, the post-war communist regime erased much of this history. General Karel Kutlvašr, who led the uprising, was later sentenced to life imprisonment. Many others involved were also persecuted after the February 1948 Communist coup.

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