pomník mistra Jana Husa

The Monument to Master Jan Hus stands on Hus Square in Pečky, right in front of the Jubilee Church of Master Jan Hus, and ranks among the best-known works of its kind in central Bohemia. The bronze figure of the religious reformer, mounted on a pedestal of polished light granite, rises to nearly two meters and was created by sculptor Stanislav Sucharda, one of the leading names in Czech Art Nouveau monumental sculpture.

Who made the monument and when?

Sucharda worked on the statue between 1913 and 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War. Because of the war and fears that the bronze would be confiscated for military use, the finished sculpture could not be placed in public for several years and was instead kept inside the town hall. Only after the founding of independent Czechoslovakia was the monument formally unveiled on the town square in Pečky, in 1919.

What does the sculpture depict?

The figure shows Master Jan Hus in a dynamic, upright pose, head raised and right leg stepping forward, as though caught mid-stride. With both hands he presses an open Bible to his chest, underlining his role as a preacher and defender of scripture read in the vernacular. The expressive, angular treatment of his flowing robes reflects the modern sculptural currents of the period. The front of the pedestal bears the inscription "MISTR JAN HUS," while the reverse reads "POSTAVENO SNAHOU OBCE A POKROKOVÝCH SPOLKŮ V PEČKÁCH" - noting that the monument was built through the effort of the town and local progressive associations. The statue itself is signed "SUCHARDA," and the pedestal still carries the foundry mark "LIL. G. BARTÁK, LIBEŇ."

What happened to the monument over the years?

The statue's story did not end with its 1919 unveiling. In 1943, during the Second World War, German occupation authorities removed the monument and had it taken to Prague - most likely destined to be melted down for the war effort, a fate shared by many bronze monuments across the Protectorate at the time. Fortunately, the figure survived the war intact and was returned to Pečky in 1946. In 1975 it was relocated from its original spot on the square to make room for a monument to Klement Gottwald, and was re-erected in its present position in front of the Jubilee Church of Master Jan Hus, where it still stands today. The ceremonial re-unveiling at this new location took place in July 1975.

Why was the monument built in Pečky specifically?

The monument's construction was part of a broader wave of Jan Hus commemorations that swept through Czech towns in the early twentieth century, tied especially to the five-hundredth anniversary of his death at the stake in Constance. In many towns, local municipalities and civic associations financed similar monuments as an expression of national identity and quiet defiance of Habsburg rule. In Pečky, the initiative came from the municipality together with progressive associations active in the town, exactly as recorded in the inscription on the pedestal.

Is the monument a protected heritage site?

Yes - the Monument to Master Jan Hus in Pečky was listed on the heritage register on December 31, 1965, under registration number 35535/2-1919. This status protects both the bronze figure and its granite pedestal as a testament to early twentieth-century Czech monumental sculpture and as an important piece of the town's local history and identity.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the monument stand? On Hus Square in Pečky, in front of the Jubilee Church of Master Jan Hus.

Who sculpted the statue? Stanislav Sucharda, a Czech sculptor active around the turn of the twentieth century.

How tall is the figure? Nearly two meters, not counting the pedestal.

Has the monument always stood in the same spot? No - it was originally unveiled in 1919 at a different point on the square and was moved to its current location in 1975.