​Representatives of Unipetrol, the cities of Litvínov and Most and eyewitnesses yesterday commemorated the 70th anniversary of the first Allied air raid on the chemical complex in Záluží, the former Sudetenländische Treibstoffwerke A.G. For this reason, the siren was symbolically sounded at Chempark Záluží at 1:45 pm yesterday. During the memorial event, a joint project between Unipetrol and Česká rafinérská in the form of memorial to those who lost their lives during construction of the plant in Litvínov – Záluží was unveiled.

“The monument will honour the memory of those who lost their lives or were injured during the air raid. The project will also pay tribute to those people people who lost their lives during construction, and wartime operations and bombings of the plant,” says the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol Marek Świtajewski.

The memorial will be located in front of the main gate to the chemical complex in Záluží. Markéta Oplištilová, a student from the Faculty of Art and Design at Jan Evangelist Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem won the competitio for the design of the monument which was held last year. A tender is currently underway to find a contractor to build the monument.

Events from 12 April 1944
On 12 April, 935 heavy bombers took off from the British Isles. In terms of several flight groups on the very same day, their air raids destroyed plants in Záluží, in Leuna, in Böhlen, in Zeitz and in Lützkendorf. 1,650 bombs were dropped during the Allied air raid on Sudetenländische Treibstoffwerke in Záluží. The available statistics speak of 577 dead in the chemical plants, of which 402 of the victims were employees. 560 people were seriously injured and several thousand suffered minor injuries. Roughly a third of Záluží itself was damaged. A total of 80 houses were destroyed and 103 other building were badly damaged. 186 inhabitants of the village died during the air raid.