Memorial to Lidice

work by Martinů

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June 30, 2026

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The "Memorial to Lidice" is a symphonic poem composed by Bohuslav Martinů in 1943. It commemorates the tragic destruction of the Czech village of Lidice by Nazi forces in 1942. This act of reprisal was in response to the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking SS official.12

The Nazis rounded up the inhabitants of Lidice, executing the men, sending the women to concentration camps, and dispersing the children to be raised as Germans. The village itself was then burned and dynamited. Martinů's composition serves as a powerful musical tribute to the victims and a stark reminder of the atrocities of war.21

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Bohuslav Martinů
His Memorial to Lidice (1943) is a short symphonic poem commemorating Czechs killed by the Nazis during their destruction of the village of Lidice in 1942. Martinů’s other works include six symphonies; violin, piano, cello, and flute concerti; six string quartets; and compositions for piano, for…
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His Memorial to Lidice (1943) is a short symphonic poem commemorating Czechs killed by the Nazis during their destruction of the village of Lidice in 1942. Martinů’s other works include six symphonies; violin, piano, cello, and flute concerti; six string quartets; and compositions for piano, for…
Read More