Monument of Adalbert Lanna the Elder

The Monument of Adalbert Lanna the Elder stands in the Sady city park in České Budějovice and ranks among the most turbulent monuments in the city's history – torn down and badly damaged shortly after the war, it did not return to public view for nearly five decades. The sculpture honors a local entrepreneur whose nineteenth-century business ventures shaped transport development across the South Bohemian region.

Where exactly does the monument stand?

The monument is located in Sady, the city park in České Budějovice – a green, quiet space that has long served both as a place of leisure for residents and as a setting where the city chose to commemorate its notable citizens.

Who was Adalbert Lanna the Elder?

Adalbert Lanna the Elder (1805–1866) was a native of České Budějovice and an entrepreneur linked to river shipping and the development of railway transport in the region. His business activity was part of the broader nineteenth-century industrialization of the Austrian Empire, in which private entrepreneurs built transport infrastructure — navigable canals and railway lines — connecting industrial centers with markets. He was significant enough to the local community that, following his death, the city council decided to honor him with a lasting monument.

When and how was the monument created?

Work on the sculpture took an unusually long time – from 1866 to 1879. It was produced at the Imperial-Royal Artistic Foundry in Vienna, one of the more important casting workshops of the Habsburg monarchy at the time, under the artistic direction of Franz Pönninger. The costs were covered largely by a public fundraising campaign initiated by the České Budějovice city council – residents themselves contributed to commemorating their accomplished fellow citizen.

What happened to the monument in 1945?

The monument's fate changed dramatically in May 1945, during the turbulent months following the war. It was torn down from its pedestal by an angry crowd and severely damaged, then removed to a secluded location, away from public view. For nearly half a century it did not return to the city's public space.

When was it restored to its place?

Only in 1993, after the political transformation in Czechoslovakia, was the damaged work partially restored and re-erected in Sady park. The monument's return to public view became a symbolic gesture of restoring to the city elements of its pre-war history that had remained hidden for decades.

What should visitors know before going?

The monument stands in a quiet, green section of Sady park, away from the busiest tourist areas of central České Budějovice, making it an interesting stop for those interested in the city's nineteenth-century history and its enterprising citizens, rather than a typical stop on the standard route around the main square and cathedral.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Adalbert Lanna the Elder? A local entrepreneur from České Budějovice (1805–1866), connected to river shipping and the development of railway transport in the region.

Where does the monument stand? In the Sady city park in České Budějovice.

Who created the monument and when? It was made between 1866 and 1879 at the Imperial-Royal Artistic Foundry in Vienna, under the artistic direction of Franz Pönninger.

Who paid for the monument? The city's residents, through a public fundraising campaign initiated by the České Budějovice city council.

What happened to the monument in 1945? It was torn down by a crowd, severely damaged, and removed to a secluded place.

When was the monument restored to its site? In 1993, following a partial restoration.