Mohyla U Parku

Mohyla u parku (The Mound by the Park) stands in České Budějovice, in the Čtyři Dvory district, at the intersection of Husova and U Výstaviště streets, right next to the "U Parku" bus and trolleybus stop. It's a small but striking memorial honoring the victims of both world wars, built in the form of a stone mound made of rough granite blocks.

What does the mound look like, and what is it made of?

The monument takes the shape of a wall built from unhewn granite blocks, standing 345 cm high and 430 cm wide. Its left edge faces west, its right edge east. The south-facing main wall holds a marble plaque bearing a rhymed inscription, with a sculpture of a reclining lion set beneath it. Below the lion figure, a further inscription was carved and later painted black so it would stand out against the pale stone. This kind of memorial — a mound of raw stone rather than a classical figurative statue — was a common way of commemorating the fallen in interwar Czechoslovakia, cheaper and simpler to produce than bronze monuments.

What is the history behind the memorial?

The mound was built in 1920 at the initiative of the local Beautification Association (Okrašlovací spolek), a civic organization responsible at the time for the aesthetics and greenery of public space in České Budějovice. It was originally dedicated solely to the victims of the First World War, just two years after it ended. In 1949, several years after the end of the next conflict, the memorial was renovated and its purpose expanded to also honor the victims of the Second World War — turning a single monument into a shared memorial for both twentieth-century wars.

What does the inscription say?

The rhymed inscription on the marble plaque reads, in loose translation: "To all whom fate laid low in the world war, a mound is raised here in eternal memory. It will proclaim across the town and the wider land that their sacrifice for the homeland was not in vain. Sleep sweetly in distant foreign soil!" The tone is typical of interwar war memorials — grief paired with the conviction that the sacrifice made sense, addressed both to the town's residents and to the fallen themselves.

What else is nearby?

The mound stands on Husova street, right next to the grounds of Výstaviště České Budějovice, the city's largest exhibition and cultural complex, laid out as a roughly 30-hectare forest park. The complex itself only came into being in 1960, with the first agricultural exhibition and the creation of a Park of Culture and Rest — meaning the area didn't yet exist when the mound was built in 1920. The names of the "U Parku" stop and "U Výstaviště" street both refer to this later development of the district.

Where exactly is the mound located?

The memorial stands in the northwestern part of České Budějovice, in the Čtyři Dvory district, at the intersection of Husova and U Výstaviště streets. The nearest landmark is the "U Parku" public transport stop, served by buses and trolleybuses. The site is freely accessible and makes a natural stop on a walk through this part of the city or a visit to the neighboring Výstaviště grounds.

Frequently asked questions

Is the mound easy for visitors to reach? Yes, it stands in public space at the intersection of Husova and U Výstaviště streets, right by the "U Parku" stop, so it can be freely visited without restrictions.

Who is the memorial dedicated to? Originally to the victims of the First World War, and since its 1949 renovation, also to the victims of the Second World War.

Who built the mound, and when? It was built in 1920 at the initiative of the local Beautification Association (Okrašlovací spolek).

Is there anything else worth seeing nearby? Yes, the mound borders the grounds of Výstaviště České Budějovice, a large exhibition complex with the character of a forest park, host to exhibitions and cultural events.