In the footsteps of the Číhošť miracle
To this day an unexplained miracle that ended in tragedy
In the village of Číhošť, located 7 km northeast of Ledče nad Sázavou, in December 1949 there was twice an unexplained movement of the cross on the main altar in the local church. This event came to be known as the „Číhošť Miracle“.
The church where the miracle happened
In this single-nave Gothic church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the so-called „Číhošť Miracle“ took place in December 1949, during which a half-meter wooden cross was repeatedly tilted while preaching to the pastor Josef Toufar. Spreading news of the miracle caught the attention of the StB, and P. Toufar was arrested and taken to Valdice Prison, where he was brutally tortured and forced to confess. He died in February 1950 as a result of torture.
Monument to the priest Josef Toufar
Next to the church is a monument to the priest Josef Toufar, who was a pastor in Číhošť at the time of the Číhošť miracle and who was tortured to death by members of the StB during the „investigation“ of the incident. The monument was ceremoniously unveiled on February 22, 1990
The tomb of Josef Toufar
The dead body of Josef Toufar was buried in a mass grave in Prague-Ďáblice. Toufar's remains were finally lifted from the mass grave on November 14, 2014. On July 1, 2015, Toufar's funeral with a solemn mass was held in front of the church in Číhošť, and the Silver Coffin with the remains was placed in a tomb in the floor on the main axis of the church.
Rectory
Next to the church there is a rectory in a large yard, where in the reconstructed interior there is a freely accessible exhibition dedicated to the life and legacy of Josef Toufar.
Exposure
It is possible to view a panel with a description of the life journey of a man who was murdered by the communist secret police at the premature age of 48.
Bedroom
The simple bedroom of a village priest
State Security Investigation File
In the church it is possible to see a number of period and contemporary documents and photographs. Among other things, the StB investigation file.
Symbolic grave
A symbolic grave built by local parishioners in 2002 is located in the corridor of the rectory. The coffin with the remains is now finally placed in the floor of the church.
Honors
In 2014, Josef Toufar received a state award in memoriam from the President of the Republic.
The place of death of Josef Toufar
Josef Toufar was transferred to a state sanatorium in Prague after a series of brutal interrogations in critical health. In an effort to save him for the planned monster trial, he was quickly operated on February 25, 1950, but unfortunately he could no longer be helped and died. Coincidentally, Jan Palach also died on January 19, 1969 in this medical facility in Prague in a house at Legerova 63. A commemorative plaque on the house commemorates these events.
