socha plukovníka Švece

The statue of Colonel Švec is a sandstone monument standing in Tyršovy sady park in Třebíč, dedicated to one of the best-known commanders of the Czechoslovak Legions in Russia, Josef Jiří Švec. The sculpture commemorates a man whose professional life was closely tied to Třebíč itself, where he worked as a teacher before the war, and the dramatic events at the end of World War I that ended his life.

Who was Josef Jiří Švec?

Josef Jiří Švec was born on 19 July 1883 in Čeňkov, near Třešť. He spent his professional life in Třebíč, where he worked as a teacher at the local secondary school. He was also an active member of the Sokol movement, which promoted the harmonious development of body and mind and was popular among Czech patriotic circles at the time. After the outbreak of World War I, he refused to serve in the Austro-Hungarian army and instead joined the Czechoslovak Legions forming in Russia, where his command abilities allowed him to rise quickly through the military ranks.

How did his career in the Legions unfold?

In August 1918, Švec was promoted to the rank of colonel. By mid-October of that year, he had taken command first of a regiment and then of the entire 1st Division of the Czechoslovak Legions in Russia. This was a period of exhausting civil war fighting, during which the legionnaires operated under conditions of extreme fatigue and increasingly strained discipline.

What happened on 25 October 1918?

On 25 October 1918, after exhausted and demoralized soldiers refused to follow his orders, Josef Jiří Švec took his own life, shooting himself in a staff wagon at the Aksakovo-Belebey station in Russia. The date — one day before Czechoslovakia's independence was proclaimed — turned him into one of the most recognizable symbols of the legionnaires' sacrifice for the national cause.

When and why was the monument in Třebíč erected?

The statue was ceremonially unveiled on 25 October 2008 in Tyršovy sady park in Třebíč, on the anniversary of the colonel's death and close to the anniversary of Czechoslovakia's founding. The sandstone sculpture was created at the art school in Světlá nad Sázavou, under the guidance of academic sculptor Otakar Marcin. The monument was a gift from the Vysočina region to the city of Třebíč — a gesture honoring a legionnaire whose working life was tied to this particular city, even though he was born nearby, in Čeňkov.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The sculpture stands in Tyršovy sady (Tyrš Park) in Třebíč, a municipal park that has long served both as a place of remembrance and recreation. It's a quiet location, set apart from the historic town center included on the UNESCO list, but easily reachable on foot by anyone exploring Třebíč.

What should you know before visiting?

The statue of Colonel Švec is a site of particular interest to visitors curious about the history of the Czechoslovak Legions and the closing chapter of World War I, rather than a typical stop on a standard sightseeing route. It's worth combining a visit with a walk through Tyršovy sady, and keeping in mind the wider historical context: the colonel's death fell literally on the eve of Czechoslovakia's independence, which gives the site an added symbolic weight.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Josef Jiří Švec? A colonel of the Czechoslovak Legions in Russia, previously a teacher in Třebíč, born in 1883 in Čeňkov near Třešť.

Where is the statue located? In Tyršovy sady (Tyrš Park) in Třebíč.

When was the statue unveiled? On 25 October 2008, on the anniversary of the colonel's death.

Who created the sculpture? Students of the art school in Světlá nad Sázavou, under the guidance of academic sculptor Otakar Marcin.

How did Josef Jiří Švec die? He took his own life on 25 October 1918, shooting himself in a staff wagon at the Aksakovo-Belebey station in Russia, after his exhausted soldiers refused to follow his orders.

Who funded the monument? It was a gift from the Vysočina region to the city of Třebíč.