Julius Fučík (Olšany Cemetery)

The Julius Fučík Monument stands in the Olšany Cemetery in Prague's Žižkov district, in the section devoted to victims of Nazism and to Red Army soldiers. The bronze sculpture depicting the Czech journalist and writer arrived here in 2013 after spending decades in storage — a backstory that is almost as interesting as the monument itself.

Who was Julius Fučík?

Julius Fučík was a Czech journalist, writer, and anti-Nazi resistance fighter during the Second World War. He was executed by the Germans in Berlin during the night of March 7-8, 1943. After the war he became one of the central figures of Czechoslovak communist propaganda — streets, schools, and squares were named after him, and he was held up as a symbol of martyrdom in the fight against fascism.

Where did the monument originally stand?

The bronze sculpture, created by sculptor Miloslav Šonka in 1978, originally stood in front of the entrance to the Julius Fučík Park of Culture and Recreation — today's Výstaviště exhibition grounds in Prague's Holešovice district. It replaced one of four fountains with basins that had previously occupied the spot.

What happened to it after 1989?

After the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia, the monument was removed from public space. The sculpture itself was placed in storage at the Prague City Gallery's depository, where it remained for more than two decades, while only an empty pedestal was left at its original site.

When and why did it move to Olšany?

After years in storage, the sculpture was restored, and Prague's city authorities approved its installation at Olšany Cemetery. It was unveiled on February 23, 2013 — the eve of the 110th anniversary of Fučík's birth — in front of several hundred people. The return of the monument to public space was made possible by an international petition signed by thousands of people from the Czech Republic and abroad, supported among others by German anti-fascists.

Where exactly does the monument stand?

The sculpture stands in the part of the cemetery dedicated to victims of the war and the occupation, close to the graves and monuments of Red Army soldiers and other figures of the Czech resistance, including Jožka Jabůrková and Jan Šverma. This placement is not accidental — those behind the relocation wanted to situate Fučík within a broader context of remembrance for anti-fascist resistance.

Why does this site still spark debate?

Fučík and his monuments remain a contested subject in the Czech Republic. For some he is a symbol of sacrifice in the fight against Nazism; for others, the face of communist propaganda that exploited his biography for political purposes for decades. The return of the sculpture to Olšany is therefore seen both as an act of restoring historical memory and as a reason for ongoing debate about how to commemorate figures tied to the postwar regime.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Julius Fučík monument located? At Olšany Cemetery in Prague's Žižkov district, in the section dedicated to victims of the war and occupation, near the graves of Red Army soldiers.

Who created the monument? Sculptor Miloslav Šonka, who made the bronze sculpture in 1978.

Where did the monument originally stand? In front of the entrance to the former Julius Fučík Park of Culture and Recreation, on the site of today's Výstaviště grounds in Holešovice.

When was it moved to Olšany? It was unveiled there on February 23, 2013, the eve of the 110th anniversary of Fučík's birth.

Why was the monument removed from its original location? After 1989, as communist-era symbolism was removed from public spaces, the sculpture was taken off its pedestal and spent more than two decades in storage at the Prague City Gallery's depository.

Who was Julius Fučík? A Czech journalist and writer, and anti-Nazi resistance fighter, executed by the Germans in Berlin in March 1943.