Horoušany - Small Village Full Of History

Old houses look like landowner estates and could something suggest regarding local history. Miloslav Vágner, eye-witness, says: „Our village, Jirny and Úvaly - we were one big United Agricultural Cooperation in past!“.

A place where the attack on Heydrich started

Anyway, we will remember time period of the 2nd World War more as bellowing cows. Horoušany-village is closely connected with Heydrich time-period, i.e. period of martial law after attack on Reinhardt Heydrich, Reichs-protector. The parachutists Joseph Gabčík and John Kubiš commited on him an attempt at assassination on 27th May 1942, not far from Prague-Bulovka Hospital. Several months ago, before this act was effected, the parachutists jumped down not distant from Horoušany village. Another local person says: „They fell down close to the cemetery in the neighboring village of Nehvizdy, and transferred later in direction to Horoušany. They consealed themselves inside the rocks in a quarry“. However, the stone is not excavated there any more, and you would not find the spaces where they were took their shelter.

„The Antrophoid Operation was said to be Sokol´s idea. Mr. Baumann, district leader, who lived close to the water-mill in past, was obviously joined to British resistance movement. He could take some fodstuffs to their rescue place!“ Mr. Vagner says. Now, his son is seventy years old, and he transferred from Horoušany to Český Brod. „Mr. Baumann was kept, shortly after the attack, by black Mercedes-vehicle. However, the Nazis tortured hin to death!“ Memorial plate reminds his act and even neighbouring street takes his name (Baumann street).

Nostalgy of „Food Store“

A view which is offered to you, when waiting for the bus connection to Prague, would remind you a stage as if you were couple of year in past. This old shop-facade was not changed even twenty years after „Velvet Revolution“. Rusty plate with an inscription „Smíšené zboží“ (Grocer´s, Food Store) is acting nostalgic way. Behind heavy tin door, a charmant lady, Irene Brazdova, is working. She is in pension, and she spent nearly thirty years in this shop. Moreover, she bought this premises into her private ownership.

„Everything remained in its original stage. Those wooden stands with wide shelves are a work of one local joiner“, Mrs. Brazdova says, serving several clients at the same time. She knows personally all her clients very well. What subjects would be probably renovated or substituted ? Maybe, new ice-refrigerator, or newly gauged weighing-machine and cash-register could be bought. This would be necessary, as the law requires it. Nevertheless, she loves her work and feels well in a room boarded with white tiles.

Text: Klára Svobodová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo/video: Klára Svobodová