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All Czechia Národní památník odposlechu (National Interception Memorial)
AO Edited

Národní památník odposlechu (National Interception Memorial)

This trio of reliefs—an ear, a mouth, and a pair of eyes—carved into the walls of flooded quarries is a monument to spying.

Lipnice nad Sázavou, Czechia

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Mouth of Truth reflecting off the water in the former quarry.   Filo cz / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Mouth of Truth   Yard 75 / Public Domain
Golden eyes   Yard 75 / Public Domain
Bretschneider’s ear   Yard 75 / Public Domain
Bretschneiderovo ucho   barbeque / Atlas Obscura User
Zlate oci   barbeque / Atlas Obscura User
Usta pravdy   barbeque / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In the flooded granite quarries near Lipnice nad Sázavou, a group of young stonemasons led by the Czech artist Radomír Dvořák carved a set of reliefs that measure nearly three meters. Taking the shapes of a giant ear, mouth and eyes, these sculptures were created in memory of spying during the former regimes.

The first part of the monument was Bretschneiderovo ucho (Bretschneider's Ear), which was carved in 2005. Its name comes from an undercover policeman in the novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek. A year later the next component was added, a set of slightly parted lips known as Ústa pravdy (Mouth of Truth). The final part of the moment was a pair of eyes called Zlaté oči (Golden Eyes) was carved in 2007.

Related Tags

Stone Quarries Spies Sculptures

Know Before You Go

The route to the memorial begins at “U české koruny” inn in Lipnice nad Sazavou. After about 1 km, the markers split, the individual reliefs are not far from each other, each located in a different quarry. The whole tour will take at least two hours, you will walk a total of about 4 km.

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Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

October 16, 2024

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  • https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/pamatnik-narodniho-odposlechu-v-zatopenych-zulovyc
Národní památník odposlechu (National Interception Memorial)
Lipnice nad Sázavou, 582 32
Czechia
49.616016, 15.393603

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