Víska U Jevíčka

Víska u Jevíčka combines a distinctive viewpoint with a complex history of remembrance. The place is therefore interesting less because of a single attraction than because of the contrast between experiencing the landscape and placing it in its historical context. It offers a destination that is especially rewarding when you consider nature observation and cultural history together rather than separately.

Viewpoint and Landscape

The tower above the fire station is an important viewpoint over Víska u Jevíčka and the surrounding landscape. The memorial and forest cemetery for 143 prisoners are listed as an immovable cultural monument. They are located in a forest west of Víska u Jevíčka. The viewpoint is therefore part of the built-up area, while the memorial site lies on the western side of the forest. In Víska u Jevíčka, the landscape view and the memorial are not spatially tied to the same location.

Remembering the Former Camp

A wartime labor camp was established northwest of Víska u Jevíčka on the slope of the valley of the Arnoštovský Stream. The former camp site was located on the road from Víska u Jevíčka, formerly Derflík, to Chornice. Civilian workers involved in highway construction were initially housed there. In spring 1940, Polish Jews were also brought there; after the attack on the Soviet Union, Soviet prisoners of war were added. The site's historical use thus changed over several successive periods.

In 1942, 142 Soviet prisoners of war died in the former camp of typhus. They were buried in the Kalenky forest in a dedicated cemetery. This burial site forms a distinct setting within the history of the camp. Since October 7, 1951, a memorial has commemorated the place where those who died in a typhus epidemic were buried. In 2006, it was reconstructed with financial support from the Pardubický kraj. The deaths, commemoration, and reconstruction therefore relate to three separate points in time: 1942, 1951, and 2006. The later commemoration continues to preserve the connection with those who died in the former camp.

Getting There and Finding Your Way Around

No railway line runs through Víska u Jevíčka. ČD line No. 262 runs east of the village and has stops in Jevíčko, Biskupice u Jevíčka, and Chornice. The line and its stops are therefore outside Víska u Jevíčka. For travel by train, it is important to distinguish between the village itself and the stations to the east. There is also a clear local peculiarity for cyclists: Víska u Jevíčka has no dedicated cycle paths and no registered cycling route. Cyclists share the roadways on the main road and local streets with other traffic. This arrangement therefore applies both to the main connection and to the streets within the village.

You can also explore Rychnov Na Moravě, Nedvezi, Dlouhá Loučka, Študlov, Lubná, Javorník, Hradec Nad Svitavou, and Sklené.

For the higher-level travel overview: Svitavy District.