Antonín Švehla

The Antonín Švehla monument in Prague commemorates one of the most important politicians of the First Czechoslovak Republic — a three-time prime minister and long-serving minister of the interior who, as leader of the Agrarian Party, was the chief architect of the so-called Pětka coalition.

Who was Antonín Švehla?

Before entering politics, Antonín Švehla (1873–1933) worked as a farmer and landowner in Hostivař, then a village on the outskirts of Prague. That background shaped his image as a down-to-earth, peasant statesman who built consensus across party lines: the Agrarian Party he led was the backbone of the Pětka, an informal coalition of the five largest Czechoslovak parties that effectively steered national politics from behind the scenes for most of the 1920s. He is credited with the coalition's famous motto, "We have agreed that we will agree."

Why is this monument located here?

The location, in the part of Prague tied to Hostivař, reflects Švehla's pre-political life — it was from his own farm there that he built the reputation of a "peasant" leader who went on to help shape Czechoslovak government for over a decade.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Antonín Švehla? A Czechoslovak politician, three-time prime minister, and leader of the Agrarian Party who helped create the Pětka coalition.

What was Švehla's connection to this part of Prague? Before his political career, he farmed land as a landowner in Hostivař, a district on the outskirts of Prague.

Is this the only monument to Švehla in the Czech Republic? No — memorials and monuments to Švehla also exist in places such as Klatovy and Kukleny, and a bridge in Tábor bears his name.

Draft note: available sources (Wikipedia, search results) confirm Antonín Švehla's biography, but do not conclusively establish specifics of the object at this location itself (year erected, sculptor, exact form of the monument/bust).