Pamětní deska Augusta Zátky

The August Zátka memorial plaque honors one of the most influential citizens of České Budějovice — a lawyer, politician and civic leader whose career spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The plaque is mounted on his family house on Krajinská street, right in the historic heart of the city.

How to get there?

The plaque is located on Krajinská street in České Budějovice, one of the main streets of the old town, just a short walk from the main square (náměstí Přemysla Otakara II.). It's easily reached on foot, only a few minutes from the central square. České Budějovice is well connected by train and bus to Prague and other towns in South Bohemia, making a stop at the plaque an easy addition to a walk through the old town.

Who was August Zátka?

August Pantaleon Zátka was born on 27 July 1847 in České Budějovice and died there on 31 January 1935, at almost 88 years of age. He came from the influential Zátka family of the city. He studied at grammar schools in Jindřichův Hradec and České Budějovice, and later at the law faculty of Prague University, graduating in 1869. After his military service and the required judicial training, he worked at the law office of V. Grünwald, and from 1876 ran his own legal practice in his home town.

Zátka played a major role in the public life of the region. He served continuously for 35 years as a member of the Bohemian Regional Assembly, and sat on the district council from 1872 to 1910. Between 1918 and 1919 — a pivotal period marking the birth of independent Czechoslovakia — he served as mayor of České Budějovice. From 1885 he chaired the local Citizens' Savings Bank (Občanská záložna).

As a Czech politician and civic activist, he made a substantial contribution to the development of Czech-language education, trade and industry in the city, helping to establish nearly all of the major Czech industrial enterprises in the region at a time when the city's economic life was largely dominated by the German-speaking bourgeoisie. In 1922 the city granted him honorary citizenship in recognition of his achievements.

The memorial plaque

In 1927, while August Zátka was still alive, a memorial plaque was unveiled on his family house on Krajinská street. A bust of Zátka was also placed above the building's entrance. The combination of plaque and bust makes this one of the more recognizable memorial sites dedicated to local figures in the historic city centre, alongside other plaques commemorating notable people from České Budějovice.

When to visit?

Since the plaque sits on the outside wall of a building on a busy old-town street, it can be viewed year-round, at any time of day. It's best combined with a walk through the historic centre of České Budějovice — spring and summer are ideal for longer strolls around the old town, while the streets are noticeably quieter outside the main tourist season.

Frequently asked questions

Who was August Zátka? August Zátka (1847–1935) was a Czech lawyer and politician from České Budějovice, a long-serving member of the Bohemian Regional Assembly, mayor of the city from 1918 to 1919, and an honorary citizen from 1922.

Where is the plaque located? The memorial plaque is on August Zátka's family house on Krajinská street, in the historic centre of České Budějovice.

When was the plaque unveiled? It was unveiled in 1927, during Zátka's lifetime, and a bust of him was also placed above the building's entrance.

What is August Zátka remembered for in the city? For his decades of political and civic activity and his contribution to the development of Czech education, trade and industry in České Budějovice, which earned him honorary citizenship of the city in 1922.