- Faculty of Law (7 Curieových Square) / Pařížská Street
Faculty of Law
Following the closure of universities by the Nazis on 17 November 1939, the Faculty of Law, along with several other university buildings, was occupied by the Nazi administration. Due to its strategic position near Čech Bridge and Na Františku Hospital, which served as the military hospital for injured Luftwaffe pilots, the building became the main Prague headquarters of the SS units.
Severe fighting occurred near the Faculty of Law during the Prague Uprising. The memorial plaque on the northeastern corner of the building commemorates the execution of members of the Faithful Dog resistance group on Čech Bridge on 5 May 1945.
The Faithful Dog resistance group was formed by a non-communist faction primarily composed of young people who embraced the ideas and legacy of T. G. Masaryk, originating from the Scout (Junák) groups, the Sokol movement, and others. The group’s non-communist orientation and connections to London led to the surveillance of the surviving members by State Security after 1947 and the erasure of their heroism after February 1948. This was meant to be forgotten forever.
Historical photograph of the facade of the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague’s Old Town, photo by Josef Stehno, 5–8 May 1945.
The SS Headquarters at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague. Museum of Prague, photo by Motuský, April 1941.
The entrance to the SS Headquarters at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague. Museum of Prague, unknown photographer,1941.
