For the occasion of Veterans Day in November, you can buy a poppy flower to pay tribute to war veterans and heroes who fought for freedom and democracy. Poppy flowers will be available at hundreds of locations across the country - in cafes, libraries, shops, public institutions and city streets. You can also donate online. We will turn your virtual poppy into a real one and plant it in a symbolic flower bed in one of the regional cities.

A Thousand Stories of Veterans in the Memory of the Nation Collection

The public fundraiser has been organized since 2014 by the non-profit organization Post Bellum, which has been recording the stories of war veterans for over twenty years. The Memory of Nations archive contains over 1,000 of their testimonies. The documentary filmmakers' interest has expanded to include other heroes who fought for our freedom. One of the largest archives of oral history thus offers the stories of participants in the Prague Uprising, resistance fighters against Nazism and Communism, and of dissidents. Their stories are told by Post Bellum through exhibitions, publications or documentary programmes. The focus is also on intergenerational dialogue - children meet the survivors during school programmes or in theater groups. The witnesses also have the opportunity to speak of their memories at lectures or on trips to the places where they lived these stories.

Memory of the Nation Help Centre

For the war veterans and other survivors whose stories we had the opportunity to capture, the organization established the Memory of Nations Help Center during the covid pandemic. At that time, it helped several hundred seniors with protective gear, shopping, escorting them to medical appointments, arranging for professional care, or just having conversations with them on the phone. Part of the funds raised in this fundraising campaign will go directly to the Help Centre, which is now a certified social service and provides support to our elderly in dealing with social security, housing or any issues with the authorities. Another part of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to document the stories of the heroes.

Tradition of War Veterans Day

Veterans Day is celebrated worldwide on November 11th, marking the end of World War I in 1918. Poppy flowers covered the graves of soldiers killed on the Western Front and have therefore become a symbol of the holiday.

All information and ways to get involved in the collection can be found at denveteranu.cz.