statue of František Palacký

The statue of František Palacký stands on Palackého náměstí (Palacký Square) in Nové Město na Moravě, in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic. It honors the Czech historian and politician František Palacký, known as the "father of the nation" for his role in the 19th-century Czech national revival. Small as it is, the monument's story says a lot about how provincial towns in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and later Czechoslovakia, built their sense of identity around national figures.

Who made the statue?

The sculpture was created by Jan Štursa, at the time a young student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, for whom this was his first commissioned work in his home town. He was assisted by his fellow student Jaroslav Křepčík, and the finishing corrections were made by Josef Václav Myslbek — one of the leading Czech sculptors of the turn of the 20th century and Štursa's own teacher at the academy. That combination — a promising young artist working under the eye of an established master — makes the Nové Město monument an interesting early record of Štursa's career; he would go on to become one of the foremost sculptors of Czech modernism.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The original plan was to place the sculpture on an existing fountain on Dolní náměstí (Lower Square). In the end, though, the statue was set up on the opposite slope of the same square instead. It was this monument that gave the square its new name — Palackého náměstí, the name it still carries today, aside from the interruption described below. The ceremonial unveiling took place on 26 October 1902 and was a major event for the town, part of a wider wave of similar ceremonies held across Czech towns at the time in Palacký's honor.

What happened to the statue during the 20th century?

The monument's history was not a peaceful one. With the onset of the Nazi occupation in 1940, the statue was removed from the square, and the square itself was renamed back to Dolní náměstí — the occupying authorities had no tolerance for symbols of Czech national identity in public space. The statue did not return to its original spot until 2 June 1946, following lengthy disputes over whether, and where, it should be reinstated. That episode makes the statue's presence on the square today a small symbol of the postwar reclaiming of public space as well.

Why František Palacký specifically?

František Palacký (1798–1876) was a Czech historian and politician, author of the monumental "History of the Czech Nation," which shaped modern Czech historical consciousness. His role in forming national identity earned him the nickname "otec národa" — father of the nation. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, dozens of Czech towns erected statues to him as an expression of resurgent national pride within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy — Nové Město na Moravě joined their ranks in 1902.

Frequently asked questions

Who sculpted the František Palacký statue in Nové Město na Moravě? It was created by Jan Štursa, then a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, assisted by Jaroslav Křepčík and corrected by his teacher, sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek.

When was the statue unveiled? The ceremonial unveiling took place on 26 October 1902.

Where does the statue stand? On Palackého náměstí in Nové Město na Moravě — a square that owes its very name to this monument.

Has the statue always stood in the same spot? Not quite — it was originally meant to be placed on an existing fountain on Dolní náměstí, but was ultimately erected on the opposite slope of the same square.

Did the statue survive World War II untouched? No — in 1940, during the Nazi occupation, it was removed and the square was renamed back to Dolní náměstí. It only returned to its place on 2 June 1946.