Pranýř se sochou svaté Barbory

The Pillory with the Statue of Saint Barbara stands on the main square of Vyšší Brod in South Bohemia, just steps from the town's Cistercian monastery and its old fountain. Carved from stone at the end of the 16th century, the column once served a much darker purpose than the serene saint who tops it today.

What was the pillory originally used for?

Until 1597 a wooden, square-shaped pillory stood on this spot. That year it was replaced with a taller stone column that rose well above the surrounding market buildings. Iron shackles for the hands and a neck collar on a chain were fixed to the shaft, and the structure was originally topped with a small chapel-like canopy holding a bell. Two inscriptions dated A.D. 1597 were carved into the stone: one on the south face warning against perjury, the other on the north face warning against bribing judges. The wording shows the pillory was meant to deter specific offenses, not just serve as a generic instrument of public shaming.

Why did the pillory become a pedestal for a saint?

In 1785 Emperor Joseph II banned the public display of convicts on pillories as part of his broader reforms, and the column in Vyšší Brod lost its original function overnight. On 18 December 1785, with the consent of the local parish priest, Julian Fischer, the upper section — the chapel and its bell — was removed and replaced with a Tuscan column. A stone statue of Saint Barbara, until then standing in the town cemetery as patroness of the dying, was moved onto the new column.

What does the statue of Saint Barbara look like?

Carved from sandstone at life size, the statue shows the saint in richly draped robes with an ornate golden crown. Her head tilts toward her right shoulder and her gaze is lowered. She holds a chalice in her right hand, while her left hand rests on a small tower-like structure with a domed roof rising from the pedestal — a reference to the legend in which her father imprisoned her in a tower.

Where exactly does the pillory stand?

The monument stands on the town square (náměstí) in the center of Vyšší Brod, close to the town fountain and within easy walking distance of the Cistercian monastery, the town's main landmark. Its position makes it a natural stop on a short walk through the historic center, near the Vltava river.

Frequently asked questions

Was the pillory once used to punish local residents? Yes. The stone pillory from 1597 originally served as an instrument of public punishment, fitted with hand shackles and a neck collar, with inscriptions warning against perjury and judicial bribery.

When did the pillory stop serving its original purpose? In 1785, when Emperor Joseph II banned the public display of convicts. That same year, on 18 December, the column was converted into a pedestal for a statue.

Where did the statue of Saint Barbara come from? It previously stood in the local cemetery, where it served as patroness of the dying, before being moved onto the former pillory's column in 1785.

What material is the statue made of? Sandstone. It depicts the saint at life size, in richly draped robes, with a golden crown, a chalice in her right hand, and a tower-shaped element beside her left hand.

Where in Vyšší Brod can visitors find the pillory? It stands on the main square in the center of town, near the fountain and the Cistercian monastery.