Army Museum Žižkov – Prague, Czech Republic

Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
One of the World War One galleries at the Army Museum Žižkov

Undoubtably one of the highlights of my trip to Prague in 2015 was visiting the Army Museum Žižkov (Armádní muzeum Žižkov). The museum, located at the foot of Vitkov hill, was about half an hour’s walk from the Old Town Square and a little off the beaten track, but it was a must-visit site for me and I planned my route to pass The Military Shop  to see if I could find anything for my collection. Apart from a few contemporary Czech airborne patches, there was not much there for me that time as it is more of a surplus store than a military antiques dealer.

Prague Military Shop - Hybernska
Entrance to the Military Shop – Hybernska, an army surplus type store which is located at Hybernská 40, 110 00 Praha 1.
Prague Military Shop - Hybernska
Interior of the Military Shop – Hybernska.
Army Shop Praha Military Shop - Hybernská
Some of the headdress items for sale at the Military Shop – Hybernska.
Prague Military Shop - Hybernska
Some of the patches for sale at the Military Shop – Hybernska.

A much better option for older militaria is Vojenské Starožitnosti, which is in the opposite direction and much closer to the Old Town (Staré Mesto námesti). But I digress…

Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
T-34 tank at the entrance to the The Army Museum Žižkov

Walking up the hill to the museum visitors are confronted by an old Soviet T-34 tank outside a very austere looking building and, when I visited, not many people around. Entry to the museum was free and the rather unforgiving exterior belied a treasure trove of artifacts which I found fascinating.  The museum exhibits covered the first World War, interwar Czechoslovakia, the second World War, persecution of members of the Czechoslovak army after the coup in 1948 and the anti-communist resistance. The museum was well laid out, with a range of very interesting uniforms and equipment exhibits accompanied by descriptions in Czech and English, it was easy to lose track of time as I encountered unusual wings and exhibits that fell directly into my own collecting areas. Of particular interest to me were the items belonging to Czech agents of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who parachuted back into the country during the Nazi occupation and also some uniform items belonging to Czech expatriates who fled post war Communist rule and served with the US 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
US Special Forces green beret featuring US Army parachutist wings on the teal blue and yellow wing oval for the 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne). This is one of the items on display at the Army Museum Žižkov belonging to Josef and Cirad Masin, two Czech brothers who escaped the communist regime to West Germany and in 1954 joined the US Army. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ they joined the US Special Forces, hoping to take part in the liberation of Europe from the Communists. Along with fellow Czech, Milan Paumer they served in the 77th Special Forces Group.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Items belonging to Josef and Cirad Masin, Czech brothers who escaped the communist regime to West Germany and in 1954 joined the US Army. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ they joined the US Special Forces, hoping to take part in the liberation of Europe from the Communists. Along with fellow Czech, Milan Paumer they served in the 77th Special Forces Group.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Green beret featuring the unofficial distinctive insignia of the American 77th Special Forces Group. Part of the collection of items belonging to Josef and Cirad Masin, Czech brothers who escaped the communist regime to West Germany and in 1954 joined the US Army. After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ they joined the US Special Forces, hoping to take part in the liberation of Europe from the Communists. Along with fellow Czech, Milan Paumer they served in the 77th Special Forces Group.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
US Special Forces uniform worn by anti-communist Czech national, Milan Paumer in the Czech Army Museum in Prague. Paumer escaped Czechoslovakia in 1954 and joined the US Army serving in the 77th Special Forces Group. Accompanying the uniform is a photograph of a much older Paumer wearing the uniform complete with the two US Army SF patches on each sleeve and I believe that they, along with the USSF patch and Special Forces tab were added long after his service.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Detail of the US Special Forces uniform worn by anti-communist Czech national, Milan Paumer in the Czech Army Museum in Prague. Paumer escaped Czechoslovakia in 1954 and joined the US Army serving in the 77th Special Forces Group. Accompanying the uniform is a photograph of a much older Paumer wearing the uniform complete with the two US Army SF patches on each sleeve and I believe that they, along with the USSF patch and Special Forces tab were added long after his service.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Two unusual examples of the British parachutist wings worn by Czech SOE agents who parachuted back into occupied Czechoslovakia to fight the occupying German forces during WW2. The wings on the lower badge may simply have faded over time, but the uppermost badge is definitely a unique variation that I had not encountered before.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
German Luftwaffe Paratrooper in the WW2 display at the Army Museum Žižkov
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Uniform of a Czech officer who had escaped to the UK and qualified as a parachutist before being reinserted back into German occupied Czechoslovakia during WW2.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
British jumpsuit with safety cap and overboots (worn over civilian clothes during parachute insertion) as issued by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to resistance agents for use during their insertion back into continental Europe. The parachute is the G.Q. type and this particular example was used by Czech resistance fighters of the the ANTIMONY paragroup which jumped on 24 October 1942.

Unfortunately the museum is now closed whilst a complete reconstruction takes place and I am told that it won’t reopen until at least 2020, but it will be interesting to see what changes are made. So, in the interim, here are some of the photos that I snapped on my iphone during my visit. Hopefully when the museum finally reopens these objects will be back on display because it really was a fascinating display of Czech military history.

Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov. Photo Julian Tennant
Machine-gunner and officer of the 21st Czechoslovak Rifle Regiment of the Czechoslovak Legions in France 1918. The machine-gunner is holding the French Light Machine Gun F.M. 1915 Model Calibre 8mm Lebel.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov. Photo Julian Tennant
Uniform of an Australian officer serving on the Western Front during The Great War.
Austro-Hungarian First Lieutenant, Field Pilot uniform on display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov. Photo Julian Tennant
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
French 75mm tank gun, 1916 Model, used in the first French Schneider CA-1 tanks.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Display in the First World War gallery at the the Army Museum Žižkov.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Exhibition area showing the development of the Czech Armed Forces between the wars.
1930’s period Motor Transport officer wearing the ‘excellent driving of offensive vehicles for officer’ qualification award.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
1930’s period Czech army display. I think that the magenta-red coloured collar tabs on the figure on the left indicate artillery. In the centre is a soldier from the Frontier Rifles, whilst the figure on the left is a gendarme sergeant of the 3rd Provincial Gendarmery Command in Bratislavia.
Army Museum Žižkov Prague
Inter-war years Czech Air Force display at the Army Museum Žižkov Prague.
Pre WW2 armoured qualification. Officially described as the badge for “excellent driving of offensive vehicles for officers + miniature.”
Inter-war period Czech Air Force insignia. Top Row: No.1. Unofficial badge of 5 Aviation Regiment in Brno. No.2. Moravian Aero Club badge. No.3. Republic of Czechoslovakia Aero Club badge. Bottom Row: No.1. Field Pilot qualification. No.2. Field Observer qualification. No.3. Field Air Gunner qualification. No.4. Field Air Observer of Arms.
Czechoslovak Armed Forces 1920-29 collar badges. Top row (no.21) left to right, Machine battalion, Bridge battalion, Survey company, Balloon (observation) company. No.25. Infantry and Artillery Mountain Regiments. No.26. Railway Regiment (also worn after 1930).
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Armband of the Sudetendeutsche Partei, (SdP) Order Units. The SdP was a pro-Nazi party that existed in Czechoslovakia from 1933 until annexation in 1938.
Exhibit of items relating to the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 at the Czech Army Museum Žižkov
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Waffen SS oberscharführer wearing a Close Combat Clasp, Wound Badge 3rd Class, Iron Cross 1st Class and the ribbon indicating that he was also awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
Army Museum Žižkov
World War 2 period armband of the Kuratorium for Youth Education (Kuratorium pro výchovu mládeže). Established in 1941, this was a ‘Hitler Youth’ type organisation formed in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Morovia to promote ‘Reich loyal’ Czech nationalism through the provision of cultural and athletic activities to youths between 10 and 18 years of age.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Waffen SS NCO’s visor cap and label from the kennel of the SS Security dogs at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Concentration Camp inmate uniform and identification patches. The inverted red triangle indicates that this was a political prisoner and the letter T identifies the prisoner’s nationality as Czech. “T” stands for Tscheche (Czech) in German.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Nazi Todt Organisation armband and identification badges worn by forced labourers working at the Junkers motor production workshops in Prague.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
1933 pattern SS dagger and insignia recovered from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Zyklon B canister from the Gas Chamber of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Sleeve cuffs worn by inmates who were required to assist with self-administration of Mauthausen Concentration Camp and part of a hammer used to smash stone in the camp’s quarry.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Diorama of Soviet troops advancing through Prague, 1945.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Royal Air Force pilot and engineer’s brevets with sleeve eagle and Czechoslovakia title worn by exiled Czech pilots serving with the RAF.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
German Luftwaffe airman wearing tropical dress including the visor cap with neck-flap
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Soviet Red Army soldier in winter dress.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Red Army command post 1945.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Czech resistance fighters, including a policeman in the foreground, during the Prague uprising in 1945.
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
‘White Russian’ SS volunteer of the POA armed with a StG 44 rifle.

Army Museum Žižkov /Armádní muzeum Žižkov

U Památníku 2, Praha 3 – Žižkov,

Phone No: +420 973 204 924.

Email:  museum@army.cz

Website: The Military History Institute Prague        

We use cookies to improve your experience on our website