Památník Pařížské komuny

Památník Pařížské komuny (Monument to the Paris Commune) stands in České Budějovice on Pražská třída, right where it meets Pekárenská street. It is one of the few well-preserved Czech monuments dedicated to the Paris Commune of 1871, placed at the heart of the housing estate that carries the same name.

How did this place come to be?

At the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, České Budějovice saw the construction of the largest panel-block housing estate in the whole South Bohemian region. In 1971, on the hundredth anniversary of the Paris Commune, the new estate was named Sídliště Pařížská komuna, and a foundation stone for the future monument was laid on the same occasion. Three years later, in 1974, the City National Committee Council, together with the Czech Fund of Visual Arts and the Union of Czech Visual Artists, announced an artistic competition for its design.

Who designed the monument?

The commission went to architect Leopold Petřík and sculptor Zdeněk Vojta. The monument was completed in 1976, positioned exactly at the point where Pekárenská meets Pražská třída, a central and highly visible spot within the estate.

What does the structure look like?

The core of the monument is a tall reinforced-concrete pylon rising from a square, stepped base clad in polished granite tiles. The pylon widens as it rises, and its peak carries a metal sculpture in the shape of a star. The original title of the whole composition was "Zrození hvězdy" ("Birth of a Star"), a name that symbolically references the Paris events of spring 1871.

What was the monument meant to express?

Its authors wanted to give monumental, publicly legible form to the idea of the Paris Commune – rule by the people, social justice and brotherhood – for the residents of the newly built estate. The monument therefore served both an artistic and a symbolic purpose, fitting into the era's broader policy of commemorating revolutionary traditions.

Where exactly can it be found?

The monument stands roughly 120 meters west of the IGY Centrum shopping mall, directly adjacent to the Pražské sídliště housing estate. It makes for a convenient stop if you are already exploring the area around the train station or city center and want to see a rare example of postwar public art with an explicitly political origin.

Frequently asked questions

What does the monument commemorate? The Paris Commune of 1871 – the short-lived revolutionary workers' government in Paris, a symbol of the idea of popular rule and social justice.

When was it built? The foundation stone was laid in 1971, and the monument itself was unveiled in 1976, following an artistic competition announced in 1974.

Who designed it? Architect Leopold Petřík and sculptor Zdeněk Vojta.

What does it look like? A reinforced-concrete pylon on a stepped, polished-granite base, widening upward and topped with a metal star sculpture.

What was the monument's original name? "Zrození hvězdy" – "Birth of a Star."

Where exactly is it located? On Pražská třída, at its junction with Pekárenská street, about 120 meters from IGY Centrum.