Marianske Lazne was overrun almost immediately in September 1938, when Germany went to war with Czechoslovakia. Marianske Lazne, which had always been a popular international tourist destination, was at the time hosting tourists from many countries. Many of them were killed or wounded during the German bombardment which considerably damaged the town. Though the town's many clinics were mainly designed to cater to people seeking water-cures rather than to serious wounds, the medical staff did their best to help.