The Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic

Museum of the Police of the Czech Republic

Dear Visitors,

Welcome to the Museum of the Police of the Czech Republic in Prague which is situated in beautiful historical premises of the former monastery from the 14th century. We would like to show you as much as possible of the history of the security services in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic since 1918. The Museum lives its own life and in any case would not like to be only a static exhibition of police uniforms and weapons. Every year we organise seminars, congresses, courses and special attention is given to education of children and young people.

I hope the exhibition will satisfy you and I wish you a pleasant stay in Prague.

Practical Information

• Postal Address: Ke Karlovu 1, 120 00 Praha 2
• Opening Hours: Daily from 10:00 a.m. To 5:00 p.m. excluding Mondays
• Phone: + 420 224 922 183
• Fax: + 420 974 841 091
• E-mail: muzeum@mvcr.cz
• Entrance Fee:
  • Adults: 20 CzK
  • Students and pensioners: 10 CzK
  • Family Entrance Fee: 40 CzK

The History of the Museum of the Police of the Czech Republic

The Museum is situated in the premises of former monastery founded by the Czech King Charles the IV. in 1350. The monastery was abolished by the Emperor Josef the II. and used as a warehouse and a spital for infectious deceases (from 1791). After that the premises were used as a hospital including the period of the I. World War.

The Ministry of Interior has got the premises of the former monastery in 1960 and in the first period it used them for the State Regional Archive. In the second half of sixties the premises were used as a museum - firstly the Museum of the Border Police which has been changed into the Museum of the Public Security Forces and Troops of the Ministry of Interior in 1973.

The Museum of the Czech Police Force has been opened for public on 12^th April 1991 with a task to show the history of the security services on the former Czechoslovak territory and on the territory of the Czech Republic. The Museum closely co-operates with all police branches, with the Czech Police Academy, research institutes and with other actors involved mainly in preventive activities.

The Exhibition

The Exhibition covers the history of the Gendarmerie, pre war Police Force, Public Security Forces, Border Guard and the Czech Police Force from 1918 up to now with a short information on security services of the Austro – Hungarian Emporium. It can be divided into the following sections:

• The exhibition starts in the Cross Gallery and consists of four parts. The first one covers the history of the Gendarmerie and the Czechoslovak Police during the period 1918 – 1938, including the history of Air Service of the Gendarmerie and the pre war Border Protection Corps (SOS).
• The second part covers the history of the Police and the Gendarmerie during the German established Protectorate of the Bohemia and Moravia (1939 – 1945) and creation of the post war Public Security Forces.
• The third part of the gallery shows the history of the post war Border Guard, Police Air Service and operative technical equipment used by the Public Security and the State Security.
• The last part of the gallery is used for temporary exhibitions.

The gallery is surrounded by halls aimed to the police branches. The first one is the Hall of the Czech Police Force and gives the general information of the contemporary police, including the Mounted police, National Anti – Drug Headquarters and the Special police forces. Special room is devoted to drug abuse prevention aimed on young people.

The second hall is the Hall of the Traffic Branch of the Czech Police Force exhibiting uniforms and technical equipment of the branch (e.g. radars). A big collection of motorcycles used by the Police is exhibited there. Aside this special attention is given to a history of road accident prevention of various actors since 1918 up to date with special attention to activities of the police and the gendarme.

Special hall is dedicated to the Czechoslovak and Czech participation in the INTERPOL and exhibits the uniforms of foreign police forces.

The last hall is dedicated to the serious criminal offences, including robbery and murders. You can see various police techniques and object related to investigation of serious offences.

Some of the Criminal Cases Displayed

Safe braker nicknamed „Nezmar“ (The Persistent) Another of the exhibited items attractive for visitors is the old safe nicknamed “Cinderella”. At the beginning of the WWII it was opened by a safe breaker who call himself “Nezmar” ( Persistent). His real name was Josef Koudelka a he belonged to the most dangerous members of lower world of these times. He was dangerous not only due robbery but he endangered lives and health of members of security forces. To be more sure a to had enough time for his “work” any time he was armed with two loaded pistols. When arrested he never did confession and he had to slowly proved guilty. Not to be arrested so often he passed a surgery which substantially changed his face well known to the police. But he never changed his style of work. The last known arrest of this criminal was during the Protectorate (1939 – 1945) and his further history is still unknown.

The Case of Ms Otylie Vranska

On 2nd September 1933 a suitcase with women´s head and legs was found on Bratislava railway station. Later on this day was found another horrible finding at Košice railway station. Women ´n body with arms was found in the second suitcase. This horrible case shocked all Czechoslovakian public and mobilised all security services of this republic.

After findings that the only possibility of a killed person how to get to Slovakia is a fast train transport from Prague, the Prague´s Investigation Department was appointed to be the leading investigating body. All police and Gendarme departments were involved as well. Because of professional cutting of the victim coroners and butchers were checked first. After eight days the victim was identified.

Her name was Otylie Vranska from Brezno nad Vahom (Slovakia) and she had a side – job – a prostitution. Although the security services did a maximum, a murder never had been found. Its role played an international situation of these days – beginning of a Nazi regime in neighbouring Germany and a parallel case of a murder of professor Lessing – a German emigrant who found political asylum in Czechoslovakia.

Suitcases displayed in the Museum are original ones.

The Case of Ms Cerninova

Partly remains the case of Otylie Vranska. In April 1951 was found in Vltava river packet with women´body. Head and arms were missing. According an old scar the victim was identified very quickly. Her name was Hana Cerninova who took a bigger amount of firm´s money in the bank and had lost. The torso of the victim was identified by her husband as well. Due systematic and painstaking work of officers of the Public Security (name of the Police in that time) a murder was found very quickly.

It was a clerk who knew his victim slightly, but he knew she had a big amount of money. He persuade her to visit him at his girlfriends flat were he, his girlfriend and his girlfriend´s mother killed her brutally. They cut her head and legs, wrapped them and threw them to Vltava river. Benefit of their crime was 67000 CzK only.

The Case of Serial Murder Vaclav Mrazek

This case is a typical example of a serial murder which committed many crimes without sexual motivation. How he said after being arrested the idea to use violence during a coitus raised after reading pornography and probably his experiences from orgies he took part during his National Army service. Generally speaking he did not want to get a sexual intercourse, even use a force. Simply he wanted to “get a woman”. Since 1951 he committed seven sexually oriented murders, of which one double. Further on he committed four trials of a sexually oriented murder, trials of violation a exhibicionism.

A markers of necrophilia were found in this person. Even he tried to break into mortuary where lied a death women in order to have an sexual intercourse with her. Another crimes committed by Mrazek were robberies of poultry, bikes etc.

Visitors can see a Mrazek´s death mask and a Walther 7.65 mm pistol he used for some of his murders.

The Outdoor Exhibition

Home made armoured vehicle

Displayed armoured vehicle was home made construction prepared by a Czech citizen in order to break the Iron Curtain. He tried it on 19. May 1970 accompanied by his spouse and his two children. Due problems with a motor of the vehicle he had to leave it near Břeclav and early morning he went to Vatlice where he crossed illegally the Czech borders.

Displayed armoured vehicle was home made construction prepared by a Czech citizen in order to break the Iron Curtain. He tried it on 19. May 1970 accompanied by his spouse and his two children. Due problems with a motor of the vehicle he had to leave it near Břeclav and early morning he went to Vatlice where he crossed illegally the Czech borders.

External exhibition situated in the park of the Museum shows a big exhibition of the Police cars of various types, police boats, Mi 2 helicopter and e.g. home made armoured vehicle used for crossing the Iron Curtain. A part of the Iron Curtain and a watchtower is exhibited there as well.

A tribute to gendarmes and policemen killed during the WW II

On 5^th May 2007 in the premises of the Czech Police Force Museum the representatives of the Czech Police Force, the Mayor of Prague 2, the director of the Czech Police Force Museum and members of the voluntary group the ”Flying Squad of the Gendarme of Prague” in historical uniforms laid wreaths to tribute 117 members of Czechoslovak security forces who were killed by the Nazis during the WW II.

Czech gendarmes and policemen played very important role in the Czech resistance against the Nazi regime including the Prague´s Uprising in May 1945.

The Centre of Road Accident Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior and the Czech Police Force

On 13th December 2006 has been established the Centre of Road Accident Prevention as the integral part of the Museum.

The task of the Centre is to support dissemination of information, to provide traffic education of children of kindergartens and elementary schools using the traffic park of the Museum, it´s cinema hall used for e.g. Black Theatre Child Educational Performances and a special playing room.