The 21st edition of the international knowledge competition “Lidice for the 21st Century” will be launched in January 2026!
In January 2026, the 21st edition of the international knowledge competition “Lidice for the 21st Century” will be launched. The competition is jointly announced by the Lidice Memorial, the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, and the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. It is intended for pupils and students aged 10 to 19 from schools in the Czech Republic and abroad.
The aim of the competition is to promote awareness of modern history, support critical thinking and work with historical sources, and at the same time motivate young people to express themselves independently and creatively. The competition takes place exclusively online via the official website:
The competition consists of two separate parts:
1. Test Questions
Participants complete a set of knowledge-based tasks focused mainly on the history of the 20th century, totalitarian regimes, their consequences, and broader contexts of modern history. The test section assesses not only factual knowledge but also understanding of the topics and the ability to critically evaluate information.
2. Literary Work
The second part involves writing an original literary text on one of the assigned topics. Pupils may choose the form of an essay, reflection, or another prose genre. The objective is to develop the ability to formulate ideas clearly, work with a given theme, and express personal viewpoints in a well-crafted written form.
The “Lidice for the 21st Century” competition offers young people interested in history and the humanities an opportunity to deepen their knowledge, develop their talent, and actively participate in an international educational activity.
The organising teams of the announcing institutions look forward to broad participation and to receiving the works of young authors in 2026.
5. 1. 2026 Mon
Launch of the website for the 21st edition of the competition
8. 1. 2026 Thu
Start of school registration
22. 1. 2026 Thu
Start of participant registration
22. 1. 2026 Thu
Start of the 1st round of the competition
26. 2. 2026 Thu
Closing of competition registration
27. 2. 2026 Fri
Closing of the 1st round of the competition
1. 4. 2026 Wed
Announcement of the results of the 1st round and the school competition
10. 4. 2026 Fri
Start of the 2nd round of the competition
19. 4. 2026 Sun
Closing of the 2nd round of the competition
7. 5. 2026 Thu
Publication of results on the competition website
26. 5. 2026 Tue
Ceremonial announcement of the competition results
in Kutná Hora
