statue of Franz Kafka

The Franz Kafka Monument is a bronze sculpture standing in Prague at the border between the Old Town and the former Jewish quarter of Josefov, on Dušní Street. The location is far from random: right on this street, at number 27, once stood the house where the writer lived. The monument occupies a spot of unusual symbolic weight, placed between the Spanish Synagogue and the Church of the Holy Spirit, right where the spiritual influence of three faiths intersects.

Who created the monument, and when?

The sculpture was designed by Czech artist Jaroslav Róna, who won a competition for the commission two years before the monument's unveiling in 2003. He developed the project together with architect David Vávra. Cast in bronze, the piece stands 3.75 meters tall and weighs 800 kilograms.

What does the sculpture depict?

The composition is made up of two connected figures. The larger one is a male body in a suit, headless and without hands, its empty sleeves hanging limply at its sides. Riding on its shoulders sits a second, much smaller and fully formed figure representing Franz Kafka himself. The image is meant to evoke a split self and the inner fracture that runs through Kafka's writing. Róna drew his inspiration from Kafka's short story "Description of a Struggle" (Beschreibung eines Kampfes), where the motif of one figure riding another appears as an image of a struggle against oneself.

Why was the monument placed exactly here?

The choice of Dušní Street was deliberate. Kafka spent a significant part of his life in this neighborhood, and the now-demolished building at number 27 was one of the addresses where he lived. The modern monument stands at a location of exceptional symbolic value, at the crossing point of three religious traditions, between a synagogue and a church, in the heart of the old Jewish town that is inseparable from both the writer's biography and his work.

Where exactly can visitors find it?

The monument stands on a small square at the passage between Vězeňská and Dušní streets, right on the boundary between the Old Town and Josefov. It's easily reached on foot from Old Town Square or from the area around the Old-New Synagogue, just a few minutes' walk through the narrow streets of the former Jewish quarter. Its proximity to the Spanish Synagogue, one of Josefov's most distinctive buildings, means a visit to the monument fits naturally into any walking route through the historic Jewish quarter.

Why is it worth seeing?

The Franz Kafka Monument is one of the most recognizable pieces of contemporary sculpture in central Prague and a near-obligatory stop for admirers of the writer's work. Unlike classical, realistic monuments to historical figures, Róna's sculpture is a bold, surreal interpretation: it doesn't depict Kafka literally but instead tries to capture the spirit of his prose — a sense of alienation, duality, and existential unease. That approach draws not just tourists looking for a photo with one of Prague's modern icons, but also visitors with a genuine interest in literature and contemporary art.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Franz Kafka Monument located in Prague? On Dušní Street, at the border between the Old Town and Josefov, between the Spanish Synagogue and the Church of the Holy Spirit.

Who created the monument? Sculptor Jaroslav Róna, working with architect David Vávra. It was unveiled in 2003.

What does the sculpture symbolize? A headless, handless figure in a suit carrying a smaller figure of Kafka on its shoulders, referencing Kafka's story "Description of a Struggle" and the theme of a divided self.

How big is the monument? It stands 3.75 meters tall, weighs 800 kilograms, and is cast in bronze.

Why was the monument built on Dušní Street specifically? Because the house where Kafka once lived, at Dušní 27, stood on this street, and the spot itself sits at the meeting point of three religious traditions.