Commemorative events mark Sunday anniversary of Heydrich assassination

A number of commemorative events are being held in the Czech capital on the occasion of the 70-year anniversary of the assassination of Gestapo chief and governor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich. An exhibition that opened in Prague’s Libeň neighborhood on Saturday gives insight into the training of the resistance fighters who killed the Nazi leader, as well as everyday life during that era.

Sunday marks the 70-year-anniversary of Operation Anthropoid, the targeted killing of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich. The operation was carried out in Prague on May 27, 1942. British-trained Czech commandos parachuted into the Nazi-held protectorate and severely injured Heydrich by tossing a bomb into his car. He died as a result from the injuries suffered in the attack. The Gestapo chief's assassination became a symbol of Czech independence and was later hailed as an important moment in the resistance movement. His death led to a wave of revenge acts, including the Lidice massacre.