World War I Memorial in Hůry

The World War I memorial in Hůry stands on a sloping village square, right beneath the parish chapel, in the very centre of the village of Hůry in the Karlovy Vary region. It is a modest yet moving stele commemorating local residents who never returned from the fronts of the Great War.

Who built the memorial, and when?

The initiative to erect the memorial came from the villagers of Hůry themselves. The stonework was entrusted to sculptor Alois Zuber from nearby Chodov, who had the stone for the entire structure brought all the way from Silesia — transport and processing cost 3,000 crowns at the time. Funds for the project were collected over many years: part came from hunting-club contributions gathered between 1914 and 1925, part was donated by the families of fallen soldiers, and the rest was raised by the local volunteer fire brigade through events organised specifically for this purpose. The solemn unveiling took place on 20 June 1926.

What does the memorial look like?

The monument takes the form of a simple stele made of dressed, polished granite blocks. The upper part of the front face bears the German inscription "Weltkrieg" (World War), split by the symbol of an iron war cross, with the dates "1914–1918" below it. Further down, arranged in two columns, are a total of 18 names of fallen, deceased and missing residents of the Hůry municipality and the settlement of Podhoří, each listed with their military unit and grouped by the country in which they died. The base carries a German dedication inscription: "Zur ehrenden Erinnerung von der Bevölkerung Horn" — "In honourable remembrance from the inhabitants of the municipality of Horn," the German name for Hůry.

Does the memorial also commemorate World War II?

Yes. In the lower section of the stele, below the list of World War I names, a later inscription with the dates "1939–1945" was added. This shows that after the end of World War II the memorial was extended to also honour the victims of the second conflict, although without a separate list of names from that period. The monument was likely cleaned and restored sometime toward the end of the 20th century, which is why its inscriptions remain legible today.

Why is it worth visiting?

The Hůry memorial is a typical example, for the Karlovy Vary region, of a modest local memorial raised through the collective effort of an entire community — from a hunting club to a volunteer fire brigade. Standing by the chapel at the heart of the village, it recalls the fate of the inhabitants of a small, once German-speaking settlement swept up in a world war, and later in the tragedy of another conflict. For visitors exploring the area around Chodov, it is a place where local history intertwines with the wider history of Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the memorial stand? On a sloping village square in Hůry, beneath the parish chapel, in the centre of the village.

Who designed it? Sculptor Alois Zuber from Chodov, who had the stone brought from Silesia.

When was it unveiled? On 20 June 1926.

How many names appear on the memorial? 18 names of fallen, deceased and missing residents of Hůry and the settlement of Podhoří.

Does it also commemorate World War II? Yes, a later inscription with the dates 1939–1945 was added to the lower part of the stele.