The Silence Memorial at Bubny station should be completed in 2021

Prague - The Prague City Council has started preparations for the selection process for the contractor of the Memorial of Silence at the Prague-Bubny train station, from which Prague Jews were deported to concentration camps. The architectural design will be overseen by the ARN studio, which won the announced competition. The anticipated costs for building the memorial and exhibitions are approximately 150 million crowns. Financing is shared by the Prague City Council and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. The project is expected to be completed by 2021, officials told journalists today, along with the creators.

During World War II, Jewish transports were dispatched from the Bubny station. In 1945, Prague Germans departed from here during their displacement. The modern memorial is intended to be more than just a place of remembrance. In addition to a permanent exhibition, there should also be a space for seasonal projects and an educational center. Events held here will also address issues such as xenophobia alongside antisemitism.

The idea of transforming the station into a Memorial of Silence was proposed a few years ago by filmmaker and director of the charitable organization Memorial of the Holocaust Prague, Pavel Štingl. Since 2015, he has been organizing the event "Bubnování pro Bubny" and other events at the site. He also initiated the broadcasting of the Bubny radio station.

The capital city has obtained the station building on a long-term loan from the Railway Infrastructure Administration. The site is managed by the Memorial of the Holocaust Prague.