Plaque to Marie Uchytilová

The plaque to Marie Uchytilová marks a house on Zbrojnická street in Pilsen (Plzeň) where the academic sculptor spent her childhood and student years. It commemorates the woman behind one of the most moving Czech monuments of the 20th century: the sculptural group of the 82 children of Lidice.

Who was Marie Uchytilová?

Born on 17 January 1924, Marie Uchytilová worked for most of her life as an academic sculptor in Czechoslovakia. From the late 1960s until her death in 1989 she devoted herself to a single, monumental project: an over-life-size sculptural group portraying the 82 children of Lidice murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War. The finished work, known as the Memorial to the Child Victims of War, was installed at Lidice only after her death.

Where is the plaque, and why here?

The plaque hangs on a building on Zbrojnická street, in central Pilsen — the city where Uchytilová grew up and studied before starting her career as a sculptor. Its location is not a general nod to her fame but a direct reference to this particular address: the inscription specifically ties the building to the years she lived and studied there as a child and young adult.

What does the plaque look like, and what does it say?

The plaque is a bronze relief showing a profile portrait of Marie Uchytilová, mounted above an inscribed text panel. The original Czech inscription reads: "Zde prožila své dětství a studentská léta Marie Uchytilová, akademická sochařka, 1924–1989. Jejím celoživotním dílem je sousoší 82 lidických dětí v nadživotní velikosti, Památník dětských obětí války" — in English, roughly: here Marie Uchytilová, academic sculptor (1924–1989), spent her childhood and student years; her life's work is the over-life-size sculptural group of the 82 children of Lidice, the Memorial to the Child Victims of War.

When was the plaque unveiled?

The plaque was unveiled on 20 September 2011. The ceremony was attended by its creator, Sylvie Klánová — Marie Uchytilová's daughter — together with Pilsen's mayor at the time, Martin Baxa. Klánová, herself active in sculpture, designed the portrait relief as a tribute to her mother.

Is it worth seeing while visiting Pilsen?

The plaque sits right in the historic center of Pilsen, so it's easy to combine a look at it with a walk through the old town. It is a small, understated marker, but a meaningful one: a reminder that the sculptor behind one of the Czech Republic's most significant war memorials once lived on this very street.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Marie Uchytilová? A Czech academic sculptor (1924–1989), creator of the sculptural group of the 82 children of Lidice, known as the Memorial to the Child Victims of War.

Why is the plaque located in Pilsen? Because Uchytilová spent her childhood and student years in a house on Zbrojnická street in Pilsen.

When was the plaque unveiled? On 20 September 2011, with the plaque's creator Sylvie Klánová and Pilsen's then-mayor Martin Baxa in attendance.

Who created the plaque itself? Sylvie Klánová, Marie Uchytilová's daughter.