About this place
The statue of Edvard Beneš stands on Loretánské náměstí in Prague's Hradčany district, right in front of the Černín Palace. It is one of the few monuments in central Prague dedicated directly to Czechoslovakia's second president, and the way it is positioned hides a quiet personal story.
Where exactly does the statue stand?
The bronze figure stands on Loretánské náměstí, in the Hradčany district, right next to the Černín Palace — a monumental Baroque building that has served as the seat of the Czechoslovak, and later Czech, Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the interwar period. That neighbor is no coincidence: Beneš himself headed the foreign ministry for seventeen years, from 1918 to 1935, before he became president.
Who created the statue and when was it unveiled?
The original sculpture was created by Czech sculptor Karel Dvořák during Edvard Beneš's own lifetime. For years, that original piece was kept in the main building of the National Museum in Prague. The bronze cast now standing on Loretánské náměstí was unveiled on 16 May 2005 — long after the president's death, as a way of marking his connection to this square and to Czechoslovak diplomacy.
Why doesn't the statue face the Černín Palace?
This is the most distinctive detail of the whole monument. Logic would suggest that the figure of a long-serving foreign minister should look toward the building of his former ministry, yet Beneš's statue faces the opposite direction — toward the house at number 108/2 on Loretánské náměstí, known as "U Drahomířina sloupu." The reason is personal: after her husband's death, Beneš's widow, Hana Benešová, lived in that very house for twenty-six years. The direction the statue faces is, in effect, a quiet gesture toward the place tied to the last decades of her life.
Who was Edvard Beneš?
Edvard Beneš (1884–1948) was the second president of Czechoslovakia, a lawyer and politician whose career began before the independent state itself existed. Before reaching the country's highest office, he spent seventeen years, from 1918 to 1935, as foreign minister, helping shape interwar Czechoslovakia's place on the international stage.
What else is worth seeing nearby?
Loretánské náměstí is one of the most striking squares in Hradčany, lined with Baroque buildings and home to the Loreta shrine with its distinctive bell tower just steps away. The Beneš statue itself is modest in scale — not the square's main attraction, but for anyone interested in Czechoslovak diplomatic history and the country's twentieth-century story, it makes for an interesting stop on the walk between Hradčany Square and the Loreta.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Edvard Beneš? He was the second president of Czechoslovakia and served for many years as the country's foreign minister.
Where exactly is the statue located? On Loretánské náměstí in Hradčany, right in front of the Černín Palace, seat of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Who created the statue? Czech sculptor Karel Dvořák, who made the original sculpture during Beneš's own lifetime.
When was the statue on Loretánské náměstí unveiled? On 16 May 2005.
Why doesn't the statue face the Černín Palace? Because it faces the house where Beneš's widow, Hana Benešová, lived for 26 years after his death.
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