Jeden z těch sedmi - Josef Bublík, rodák z Bánova – Mahdal Martin (2025)

This paperback book tells the story of Josef Bublík, a forgotten hero of the Czechoslovak resistance during the Second World War, who died alongside other paratroopers on 18 June 1942 in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius on Resslova Street in Prague after a heroic stand against overwhelming Nazi forces. “Nobody felt like sleeping. At around four in the morning, the noise of lorries could be heard from the street. Then came shouted German orders, blows in the church caretaker’s flat and shouting at the church entrance. Three men sat with their backs against the church pillars. As the blows rang out in a faster and faster rhythm, drawing closer, all three quickly stood up, rubbed their eyes and hid behind the pillars. There they waited to see what would happen. The shouting and blows moved from the caretaker’s flat outside, into the street in front of the church. It was now clear that the place where they had been hiding for nineteen days had been discovered. The only possible retreat was through the church entrance. Impossible. Shooting began from there, although it was only blind fire. The enemy did not yet know where they were hiding, but knew they were somewhere inside. It was only a matter of time before they had to return fire and reveal themselves. There was still hope that the other four comrades hiding below in the crypt would not be found by the attackers.” The book is written by documentary makers Martin Mahdal and Markéta Adamcová, and its contents are in Czech.