Karel Bezdíček

The Karel Bezdíček Monument in Sezemice is easy to walk past without realizing the story behind it. The sandstone sculpture shows a man at the moment of his death on a battlefield — and that's not artistic exaggeration, but a literal depiction of something that actually happened.

Who was Karel Bezdíček?

Karel Bezdíček was born on 27 January 1888 in Vienna, but it was Sezemice near Pardubice where he actually grew up, after his family relocated there. By trade he was a tailor, and he was also active in the Czech Sokol community in Paris — a natural social and national anchor for Czechs living in France at the time.

When the First World War broke out, Bezdíček volunteered for the "Nazdar" Company — a Czech unit made up of compatriots living in France, fighting within the ranks of the French Foreign Legion. It was one of the first organized Czech armed contributions on the side of the Entente, carrying enormous symbolic weight for the later push toward independence.

How did he die?

On 9 May 1915, the Nazdar Company took part in an assault on a hill designated as point 140, in the fighting around Arras. The attack succeeded in capturing the position, but at a devastating cost — 42 soldiers killed and 90 wounded, losses that effectively wiped out the unit as an organized fighting force. Karel Bezdíček was among the fallen, killed by an exploding artillery shell.

The monument and its history

A monument to Bezdíček was erected in Sezemice nad Loučnou already during the interwar First Republic period. The sandstone sculpture captures him at the very moment of death, dressed in a French army uniform and holding the flag of the Nazdar Company. It's an unusual example of a war memorial that doesn't idealize its subject in a pose of triumph, but instead renders the dramatic final moment of his life.

The monument's own history is almost as remarkable as the biography of the man it depicts. During the Second World War it was buried underground to protect it from destruction or confiscation by the occupying forces. After the war it was dug up and returned to public view — in surprisingly good condition given the years it had spent hidden away.

Why visit?

The Karel Bezdíček monument isn't a typical postcard attraction — it's a memorial site that ties the local history of Sezemice to the broader story of Czech efforts toward independence during the First World War. It's worth a stop if you're interested in the history of the Czechoslovak legions, or simply want to see a sculpture with an unusually somber symbolism.

The memory of Bezdíček is still alive in Sezemice today — the local community periodically holds ceremonies to commemorate his death, and units of the Active Reserves carry his name, a sign that a story from over a century ago still matters here.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Karel Bezdíček? A Sezemice resident (though born in Vienna) and a tailor by trade, who volunteered for the Czech "Nazdar" Company fighting within the French Foreign Legion during the First World War.

When and how did he die? He was killed on 9 May 1915 during an attack on hill 140 near Arras, struck by an exploding artillery shell.

Why was the monument buried underground? To protect it from destruction during the Second World War — it was later exhumed in relatively good condition.

What does the sculpture depict? Bezdíček at the moment of his death, in a French uniform, holding the flag of the Nazdar Company.