Statue of Přemysl Otakar II. in Vysoké Mýto

The Statue of Přemysl Otakar II. honors the Bohemian king who founded Vysoké Mýto, and it stands in the town's center in the Czech Republic, close to the Prague Gate. It's one of only a handful of places in the country where a Přemyslid ruler has been given his own free-standing monument.

Where exactly is the statue located?

Vysoké Mýto lies in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, in the Pardubice Region. The statue is placed near the Prague Gate, one of the surviving gates of the town's medieval fortifications and still a defining landmark of the historic center. That location isn't accidental — this part of town holds most of what remains of the old town walls, so the monument fits naturally into any walk through the historic core.

Why is this particular king honored here?

Přemysl Otakar II. ruled Bohemia in the 13th century and is remembered above all for an unusually active program of founding new towns and castles — dozens of them across Central Europe during his reign. Vysoké Mýto is part of that legacy: the town was established on his initiative in 1262. The statue was therefore built as a direct expression of local gratitude toward the town's founder, rather than as a generic royal tribute — a distinction that ties the monument closely to this specific place rather than to the king's reputation in general.

When was the statue unveiled, and why then?

The statue was unveiled on September 8, 2012, as part of the celebrations marking the 750th anniversary of the town's founding. The project was driven by a civic association formed specifically to build a monument to the town's founder, and the sculpture itself was funded through a public collection supported by 237 donors. At the time of the unveiling, it was reportedly the first statue of this king anywhere in the Czech Republic, and among the first anywhere in Europe — a fact that gave the project extra local significance.

What is the statue made of?

The work was created by Karel Bureš, an artist who combines blacksmithing with sculpture. The king's figure is forged from iron, using roughly 300 kilograms of the metal for the finished piece. Selected regalia — the crown and the seal — are partially gilded with a small amount of gold, adding a symbolic touch of royal authority against the raw, hammered iron of the rest of the figure.

Does the monument hold anything besides its symbolic meaning?

Yes — the statue also functions as a kind of memorial reliquary. Samples of soil connected to the king's life and death were placed inside the structure: earth from Městec Králové, his birthplace, and earth from the area near the site of his death at the Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278, on the territory of present-day Austria. That detail turns the monument into more than street decoration; it links the beginning and end of the king's life to the town that owes its very existence to him.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Přemysl Otakar II.? A 13th-century King of Bohemia known for founding numerous towns and castles across Central Europe, including Vysoké Mýto in 1262.

When was the statue in Vysoké Mýto unveiled? On September 8, 2012, during celebrations of the town's 750th founding anniversary.

Who made the statue? Sculptor and blacksmith Karel Bureš, using about 300 kg of iron plus a small amount of gold for gilding the crown and seal.

Where exactly does the statue stand? In the center of Vysoké Mýto, near the historic Prague Gate.

Does the monument have any meaning beyond commemorating the founder? Yes — it contains soil samples from the king's birthplace and from near the site of his death, giving it the character of a symbolic memorial reliquary rather than a purely decorative statue.