Incident
On 5 May 1945, Czech partisans in Pelhřimov took refuge in a local forest after they fought a battle with the Germans. Once the Germans had left, they tried to sneak back into town, only for the Schutzstaffel at the lead of Walter Hauck to return at 4:00 AM. The Nazis surrounded the village, then set fire to the houses as they proceeded to go on a killing spree. German troops decapitated and tortured numerous civilians during the massacre. According to the testimony of survivor Stanislav Pech:''"They began murdering civilians at the bottom of the village. One family - a husband, his wife and two daughters -- were tied up with wire while their home was set alight. They burned to death. Another person killed was 13-year-old Pepik Vaverka. Usually those who paid the highest price were those who said 'We didn't do anything'."''By the end of the killings, 25 inhabitants of Leskovice were murdered, and 31 houses burned to the ground. General consensus places the massacre's fault at the hands of Walter Hauck.
Aftermath
In 2005, an investigation of the massacre was launched by Czech authorities.See also
* Ascq massacre, also committed by HauckReferences
1945 in Czechoslovakia 1945 murders in Europe Massacres committed by Nazi Germany Massacres in 1945 Massacres in the Czech Republic May 1945 events Murder in Czechoslovakia Nazi war crimes in Czechoslovakia War crimes of the Waffen-SS {{Czechoslovakia-stub