Velké Losiny - Memorial
A simple stone prism and a black board listing the 38 names of those misfortunate enough to have had their life paths crossed with the ruthless inquisitor Boblig. A silent memory of events that are beyond sane comprehension.
In the Spa Gardens in Velké Losiny, you'll find a monument standing here nowadays to commemorate the grim era of the witch trials. Nearly forty people found unjust death here between 1679 and 1686.
Director Otakar Vávra chose a different location for filming the executions, to give a truer picture of the historical background. Due to its powerful narrative and the visual depiction of the creepy atmosphere of fear and despair, the film had for long been a thorn in the flesh of censorship. The critics back in the day saw a metaphor of Stalinism of the 1950's in the story, and the film Witches' Hammer was kept in a safe for many years.
