Jan Hus

The Statue of Jan Hus stands in a small municipal park in Dobříš, a town in Central Bohemia — a park that has been known as Husův park (Hus Park) ever since the monument's unveiling in 1932. The statue commemorates one of Czech history's most significant reform figures, and its creation is tied to one of the more memorable public gatherings in the town's history.

Where is the statue located?

Dobříš is best known for its rococo chateau, set among French and English gardens on a hillside in the eastern part of town, below the site of the former medieval stronghold of Vargač and above the Huťský pond. The Jan Hus statue itself stands a short walk from Komenského náměstí (Comenius Square), one of the town's central squares — it was from the chateau's tree-lined avenue nearby that the ceremonial procession set out on the day of the unveiling.

Who was Jan Hus?

Jan Hus (d. 1415) was a Czech theologian, philosopher, and rector of Charles University in Prague whose preaching and writing gave rise to Hussitism, one of the key movements that paved the way for the Protestant Reformation. Drawing on the ideas of John Wycliffe, he criticized abuses within the Church roughly a century before Martin Luther, a stance that ultimately cost him his life. In interwar Czechoslovakia, as the young state built its national identity, Hus became one of the country's most widely commemorated historical figures, with similar monuments raised in towns across the Czech lands during the same period.

How did the Dobříš monument come about?

The idea of commemorating Hus in Dobříš took concrete shape in July 1932, when local sculptor Jan Škvára offered to carve the statue free of charge, asking only that the town cover the cost of the stone. The town council accepted, and sandstone was brought in from Hořovice for the work. The site chosen for the finished statue was a small town park, which from that point on became known simply as Husův park — a name that has stuck ever since.

What happened at the unveiling?

The statue was formally unveiled in September 1932, in a ceremony that drew such a large crowd that, as the head of the procession — which had set out from the avenue by the chateau — reached Komenského náměstí, its tail end was still leaving the chateau grounds. Heavy rain fell throughout the event, but by local accounts it did little to dampen turnout. The scale of the gathering says a good deal about how much the occasion meant to the town's community in the interwar years.

What can you see there today?

The monument itself is a stone figure of Master Jan Hus, set within a small, intimate park close to the center of town. Today the park is a quiet green pocket near Komenského náměstí, easy to combine with a visit to the nearby Dobříš chateau and its gardens, or a stroll through the historic town center.

When is the best time to visit?

Like most green spaces in town, the park is most pleasant in spring and summer, when foliage is at its fullest and longer daylight hours make it easy to pair a visit to the statue with a tour of the chateau grounds. In autumn and winter the park keeps its character, minus the summer greenery.

Frequently asked questions

Who does the Dobříš statue depict? It depicts Jan Hus, the Czech religious reformer, philosopher, and rector of Charles University in Prague, who was executed in 1415.

Who created the statue? Sculptor Jan Škvára, who in 1932 offered to carve it free of charge in exchange for the town covering the cost of the stone.

When was the statue unveiled? It was unveiled in September 1932, in a ceremony so well attended that the procession stretched from the chateau all the way to Komenského náměstí.

Where exactly does the statue stand? In a small municipal park in Dobříš known ever since as Husův park, a short walk from Komenského náměstí.