Památník obětem 1. světové války

The Památník obětem 1. světové války (Monument to the Victims of the First World War) is a modest memorial in Borovany, a small town in South Bohemia (České Budějovice district), commemorating local residents who died in the First World War.

Where exactly does the monument stand?

Today the memorial sits in a quiet corner among residential apartment blocks, close to the site of a former cemetery. That is not, however, where it originally stood: before the Second World War the monument occupied a prominent spot right on Borovany's main square, in front of the local school building. It was relocated to its current, more secluded position only after the war, as part of broader changes to the town's layout. Visitors looking for it today should therefore head toward the housing estate near the old cemetery ground rather than the town square.

Who designed it, and when was it unveiled?

The relief composition is the work of Jan Vítězslav Dušek, a sculptor based in nearby Tábor. The unveiling was originally planned for the end of May 1938, but the date had to be pushed back: those weeks saw Czechoslovakia declare a partial military mobilization in response to the tensions of the Sudeten crisis, delaying the ceremony by several months. The monument was finally unveiled on 7 August 1938 — just months before the Munich Agreement and the loss of the Czech borderlands.

What does the inscription say, and who is honoured here?

The monument bears the inscription "Věrni v práci – věrni v zápase. Věrni v utrpení věrni až do hrobu 1914–1919" ("Faithful in work, faithful in struggle, faithful in suffering, faithful to the grave, 1914–1919"), referring to the fallen residents of Borovany from the First World War. After the end of the Second World War, in 1945, an additional plaque was added to commemorate local victims of that later conflict. In this way, the modest relief monument became a shared place of remembrance for both world wars of the twentieth century, rather than for just one of them.

Frequently asked questions

Where in Borovany does the First World War memorial stand? It currently stands among residential apartment buildings near the site of a former cemetery. It originally stood on the town's main square, in front of the school, and was moved only after the Second World War.

Who created the monument? The relief composition was made by Jan Vítězslav Dušek, a sculptor from Tábor.

When was the monument unveiled? On 7 August 1938 — later than planned, since the original date (end of May 1938) coincided with a partial Czechoslovak military mobilization triggered by the Sudeten crisis.

Does the monument commemorate only the First World War? Originally, yes — its inscription refers to the years 1914–1919. In 1945, however, a plaque honouring Second World War victims was added, so the site now commemorates Borovany residents who died in both conflicts.

Is this the same monument as the well-known Jan Žižka statue in Borovany? No. A separate monument dedicated to Jan Žižka of Trocnov stands on Žižkovo náměstí in Borovany — an entirely different object, unrelated to the world war victims commemorated here.