Statue of Charles IV, Křižovnické Square

The Statue of Charles IV is a bronze monument standing on Křižovnické náměstí (Crusaders' Square) in Prague's Old Town, right beside the Old Town end of Charles Bridge. It depicts Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, and ranks among the most recognizable historical monuments in central Prague, an area inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

Křižovnické náměstí sits at the point where the Old Town meets Charles Bridge, next to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi and the former convent of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. It is one of the busiest spots in Prague — almost every visitor crossing the bridge toward the Old Town passes right by it. The exact coordinates are 50.086309, 14.413899.

Who designed and cast the statue?

The model was created by the Dresden sculptor Ernst Julius Hähnel, while the bronze figure itself was cast by the Nuremberg founder Jacob Daniel Burgschmiet. The cast-iron pedestal supporting the emperor's figure was produced at the Lauchhammer ironworks in Saxony, a foundry well known in the 19th century for artistic metal casting. The combination of a Dresden design, a Nuremberg casting, and a Saxon pedestal reflects how cross-border the production of such large public monuments often was at the time.

What occasion prompted the monument?

The statue was commissioned to mark the 500th anniversary of the founding of Charles University, Central Europe's oldest university, established by Charles IV in 1348. Its unveiling was originally planned for 1848, exactly five hundred years after the university's founding charter. The revolutionary upheavals of 1848 disrupted those plans, and the monument was not formally unveiled until 31 January 1851.

What do the figures on the pedestal represent?

Below the emperor's statue, the pedestal carries four allegorical figures representing the founding faculties of the medieval Charles University: liberal arts, theology, law, and medicine. The choice directly ties the monument back to its origin — honoring the university's founder through symbols of the institution's original structure.

Why did the site need to be reshaped before the statue could stand there?

To create a square large enough to display the monument properly next to the bridge, a section of the Vltava's channel between the first pier of Charles Bridge and the Knights of the Cross convent building had to be filled in. This work produced the open square that still frames the statue today, visible both from the bridge and from the Old Town embankment.

How does the statue fit into the surrounding Old Town?

The statue stands directly beside the Old Town Bridge Tower and the Church of the Knights of the Cross, together forming one of the most photographed architectural groupings in Prague. Anyone walking from the Old Town toward Charles Bridge passes it almost automatically, making it a natural landmark for orienting a visit to the historic centre.

Frequently asked questions

Who does the statue on Křižovnické náměstí depict? Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, founder of Charles University in Prague.

When was the statue unveiled? On 31 January 1851, although it was originally planned for 1848.

Why was the unveiling delayed? The celebrations planned for 1848 were disrupted by that year's revolutionary upheavals, pushing the actual unveiling back to 1851.

Who designed and cast the monument? Ernst Julius Hähnel of Dresden designed the model, Jacob Daniel Burgschmiet of Nuremberg cast the bronze figure, and the cast-iron pedestal was produced at the Lauchhammer ironworks in Saxony.

What is depicted on the pedestal? Four allegorical figures symbolizing the founding faculties of the medieval Charles University: liberal arts, theology, law, and medicine.