Statue of Saint Christopher, Charles Bridge

The Statue of Saint Christopher, Charles Bridge stands on the south side of Prague's Charles Bridge, among the row of Baroque-era saints that line the crossing. Unlike most of its neighbours, though, this particular figure is a much later addition: it was carved in 1857 by the sculptor Emanuel Max and shows Christopher wading through water with the Christ Child on his shoulder, leaning on a heavy, knotted staff.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The statue occupies a spot on the bridge's south parapet, roughly at coordinates 50.086457, 14.41104. Walking across Charles Bridge between the Old Town and Malá Strana, it's one of the figures lining the route alongside dozens of other saints, making it easy to miss unless you're looking specifically for the man carrying a child on his back.

Who made the statue, and when?

Emanuel Max, a sculptor already responsible for several other works on the bridge, created the statue in 1857. It wasn't paid for out of a noble patron's private purse: the money was raised through a public collection organized by Václav Wanek, who held the post of portreeve — effectively the senior municipal official — of Prague at the time. That makes it one of the more civic, community-funded additions to a bridge otherwise dominated by aristocratic and church commissions.

Why did the site wait more than a century for a statue?

The spot had a claim on a monument long before Max ever picked up his chisel. Back in 1720, Count Antonín Sporck wanted to erect a marble statue on the bridge as a tribute to Emperor Charles VI, and he commissioned a design from Matthias Braun, the same sculptor behind several of the bridge's best-known Baroque figures. That plan was never carried out. The niche effectively stayed unfulfilled for over a hundred years until the Christopher statue finally went up in 1857, closing out a project that had started under a completely different emperor and for a completely different purpose.

What does the statue actually depict?

The pose follows the standard way Christopher has been shown in art for centuries: a giant of a man, mid-stride through water, carrying a small child on his shoulder and steadying himself with a thick, gnarled staff. According to the legend behind the imagery, Christopher made his living ferrying travelers across a dangerous river on his shoulders. One night he carried a child who grew heavier with every step, until the weight became almost unbearable — the child, it turned out, was Christ, bearing the weight of the world. The story is why Christopher become the patron saint of travelers, and why placing his statue on a bridge crossing a river makes obvious sense.

Why does this saint matter on a bridge over a river?

Christopher is traditionally invoked for protection during travel — historically by pilgrims, later by anyone facing a journey, and by extension drivers and swimmers as more categories of "travel" appeared. Positioned above the Vltava on a route walked by pilgrims, merchants, and visitors for centuries, the statue's presence on Charles Bridge fits its subject closely: a protector of those in transit, standing over the water he's shown wading through.

Frequently asked questions

Who is depicted in the statue? Saint Christopher, shown carrying the Christ Child on his shoulder while wading through water — his traditional iconography as patron saint of travelers.

When was the statue created, and by whom? In 1857, by the sculptor Emanuel Max.

Where on Charles Bridge is it located? On the south side of the bridge, among the other statues lining the crossing.

Who paid for the statue? It was funded through a public collection organized by Václav Wanek, portreeve of Prague at the time.

Why did it take so long for a statue to appear at this spot? An earlier plan from 1720, commissioned by Count Antonín Sporck from the sculptor Matthias Braun as a tribute to Emperor Charles VI, was never executed — leaving the site without a monument until Max's statue finally went up more than a century later.