Prague
Politických vězňů Street (Political Prisoners’)
The Petschek Palace figures as the headquarters of the Gestapo in the film Protector in a faithful rendering of the past. The building served as the real Gestapo HQ for the whole of WW II. This is why the street it is on bears the name Politických vězňů (Political Prisoners’).
Like hundreds of resistance fighters, the film radio announcer František experiences at first hand what happens when somebody falls into the clutches of the German secret police. Emil Vrbata only got a taste of the atmosphere of fear and death as he was allowed to leave after a gruelling night of sheer terror. Many, both in reality and in the picture Protector, were not so lucky. You can visit a memorial to the victims and a recreated Gestapo torture chamber in the palace’s basement.
The street Politických vězňů is popular with filmmakers. The scene in The Illusionist in which the chief inspector arrests the protagonist for the murder of Sophie was shot a little further on at the Schebek Palace.
