Obětem kolektivizace zemědělství

The Monument to the Victims of Agricultural Collectivization stands in Prague's Těšnov area, right next to the Ministry of Agriculture building and the entrance ramp to Hlávka Bridge. It is one of the few Prague memorials dedicated specifically to the victims of forced farm collectivization under communist rule — a chapter of Czechoslovak history that stayed largely unmarked for decades after 1989.

Where exactly is the monument?

The monument stands at Těšnov 65/17 in Prague's New Town (Praha 1), on a small square in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, on the right bank of the Vltava. Set beside a busy traffic artery and bridge approach, it is passed daily by many Praguers, though its history is not widely known even locally.

What does the monument look like?

The sculpture takes the form of a sheaf of grain, over 6.5 meters tall, made of stainless steel and wrapped in barbed wire. This simple but forceful image — the harvest of agricultural labor bound in wire — refers directly to the fate of farmers stripped of their land, farms and freedom during forced collectivization. The sculpture was created by academic sculptor Jiří Plieštik, with the architectural design by Tomáš Novotný and Zuzana Mezerová, and metalwork by Petr Podzemský. It was unveiled on 23 May 2004.

Why was this monument built?

After the Communist Party seized power in February 1948, Czechoslovak authorities began systematically dismantling private farming, following the Soviet model. The campaign peaked in the autumn of 1951, when hundreds of families — by some estimates as many as roughly four thousand so-called "kulaks," wealthier farmers — were forcibly evicted from their farms, stripped of their property, and often sent to labor camps or prison. Less prosperous farmers who refused to join agricultural cooperatives faced repression as well. Over the following decades of collectivization, Czechoslovakia's independent farming class was nearly entirely eliminated, and those responsible for the repression were never held criminally accountable.

The initiative to build the monument came from the Association of Private Farming of the Czech Republic, whose general assembly decided in 2001 to launch a public fundraising campaign for the project. The funds were raised through donations from farmers and supporters of the cause, giving the monument the character of a grassroots memorial — built by the community directly affected by the events it commemorates, rather than commissioned by the state.

Visiting the monument

The monument stands in a public space and is freely accessible year-round, at any time of day. It is a small, quiet site — visitors tend to stop here briefly for reflection rather than plan an extended visit. It pairs well with a walk along the nearby Vltava embankment or a visit to other Prague memorials tied to the communist era, which together give a fuller picture of this period of Czechoslovak history.

Frequently asked questions

What does the monument at Těšnov in Prague commemorate? It commemorates the victims of forced agricultural collectivization carried out by the communist authorities in Czechoslovakia after 1948, including families evicted from their farms and repressed for refusing to join agricultural cooperatives.

Who designed the monument and when was it unveiled? The sculpture was created by academic sculptor Jiří Plieštik, with architectural design by Tomáš Novotný and Zuzana Mezerová and metalwork by Petr Podzemský. It was unveiled on 23 May 2004.

What does the monument's form symbolize? A stainless-steel sheaf of grain over 6.5 meters tall, wrapped in barbed wire, symbolizing the harvest of agricultural labor bound by force — a direct reference to the fate of repressed farmers.

Who funded the monument's construction? It was built on the initiative of the Association of Private Farming of the Czech Republic, funded through a public fundraising campaign among farmers and supporters that began in 2001.