Lesser Town through the eyes of StB

Prague visitors have a chance to see the Lesser Town through the eyes of secret agents. After an extensive reconstruction, a former State Security observation station in Lesser Town`s St. Nicholas Church is opened to public.

The authentic areas as well as the accompanying exhibition are unique in the Czech Republic. Although there were more than 70 observation posts in Prague, KAJKA in the Lesser Town is the only one that was made public.

When the company ABL a.s. took over the operation of Prague key towers in last August, it was found out that even hundreds of years old monuments have their own hidden secrets. When the entirely preserved StB cell was discovered at the top of the Baroque tower, it was immediately decided to open the place for public even at the cost of extensive and costly reconstruction.

The exhibition will introduce visitors to the overall atmosphere of the totalitarian regime through what StB was doing. The Archive of Security Forces contributed to its composition significantly and is a logical partner of a standing exhibition of the Surveillance Department.

In its time, Kajka was also called Dědkárna (Old Men`s Room) or Dědkostroj (Old Men`s Machine) – it was mainly the retired agents who served their duty here. Their task was to monitor the movement of cars and people near the Embassy of the USA and its allies – Japan, United Kingdom and Germany. Information was sent through a radio station to the mobile patrol team operting in the field that followed the subject of interest afterwards. Visitors to KAJKA exhibition will see the photographs that were taken by secret services, period artefacts and working aids of the spies, but also photographs of sportsmen or beer stickers which the police officers used to kill the time by gluing them on the walls.

We believe that – although the cell hidden in the tower`s timberwork is a chilling reminder of the totalitarian era and the lack of freedom – it will become a place much sought by tourists not only because it is the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic but mainly because of the manner in which recent history is presented to visitors.

KAJKA is opened daily from 10.00 a.m. to 22.00 p.m.