A military ceremony was held in the morning on Place Americanka, in the city center. King Philippe and President Petr Pavel attended the overview of Czech army fighter planes before passing the troops. Sheaves of flowers have been placed at the foot of an annotated monument “Thank You America”. A minute of silence was then respected.
The king of the Belgians then expressed himself, welcoming “the immense courage of these American, Belgian and Czech soldiers who will never be forgotten”.
On May 6, 1945, Pilsen was released by the American army with the help of the 17th Battalion of Belgian Fusiliers. This battalion was made up of volunteers from the province of Liège, who were former resistance fighters from the secret army.
The battalion, established in Péruwelz in Hainaut, crossed the German border on March 11. In three months, the battalion members made more than 11,000 prisoners over 2,000 kilometers. They also seized a large amount of military equipment on their way.
The battalion also participated in the release of entities close to Pilsen, including Stribro and Tachov as well as in the dismantling of the Holsov concentration camp, from which 700 women were released.
Pilsen is one of the few Czech cities not to have been released by the Soviet army at the end of the war. During the Cold War, no attention was therefore paid to this event. It was only since 1990, after the velvet revolution marking the end of the communist regime in the former Czechoslovakia, that the liberation is celebrated in this city, also known for having given its name to pils.
