Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral | |
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Orthodox Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius
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General information | |
Town or city | Nové Město, Prague |
Country | Czech Republic |
Coordinates | 50°04′33″N 14°25′01″E / 50.075833°N 14.416944°ECoordinates: 50°04′33″N 14°25′01″E / 50.075833°N 14.416944°E |
The Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic, is the principal church in the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.
The existing structure had its origins as a Roman Catholic church built between 1730 and 1736 by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, dedicated to Charles Borromeo, archbishop and cardinal of Milan in the 16th century.
In 1942, during World War II, the cathedral was the scene of the last stand of a number of Czech and Slovak patriots who, in Operation Anthropoid, had assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi SS Obergruppenführer and General of Police. Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld was in command of the troops that stormed the church on 18 June 1942. After a fierce gun battle, they committed suicide to avoid capture. There is a museum in the church crypt dedicated to them as national heroes.
Photo of Memorial outside door of the church
Photo of Crucifix outside door of the church
Street Identifier of Church
Their Blood Shed for Us Lock in the rain of the gate
Bullet-scarred window of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague where the attackers were cornered