Statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

The statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk stands on Masarykovo náměstí, the main square of Přeštice, a small town in western Bohemia's Plzeň Region. It is one of countless monuments to Czechoslovakia's first president scattered across the country, yet the local story of removal and return makes it a compact lesson in twentieth-century Czech history.

When was the statue erected?

The original statue in Přeštice was put up while Masaryk was still alive and serving as president, during the interwar years when admiration for the "father of the nation" ran especially high in the young Czechoslovak republic. The bronze figure, slightly larger than life at roughly 280 cm, was placed on a square base of polished granite bearing the bronze inscription "T. G. MASARYK". It originally stood in front of the former Czech Savings Bank building on the square.

Why did the statue disappear?

The monument's fate mirrored the fate of Masaryk's memory under communist rule. In 1953, as authorities systematically stripped public space of symbols linked to the pre-war republic and its first president, the statue was taken down. For decades the spot stood empty, and Masaryk's image was absent from the town centre.

When did it return?

Only after the fall of communism, in 1995, was the monument with its statue of T. G. Masaryk unveiled again on the square in Přeštice — this time in the park section of the square rather than its original spot. The renewed monument carries a plaque commemorating those who worked and died for the freedom of the nation during 1914–1918 and 1939–1945, tying Masaryk's memory to the wider history of both world wars.

Where exactly does it stand?

The statue is located on Masarykovo náměstí, Přeštice's main square, whose very name honours the first president. The square has long served as the town's civic heart, and the monument in its park section is a familiar landmark for locals and visitors alike.

Why is it worth seeing?

The Masaryk statue in Přeštice is more than a local curiosity — it is a tangible trace of Czechoslovakia's turbulent twentieth century, from the enthusiasm of the First Republic through communist-era erasure of inconvenient symbols to the restoration of national memory after 1989. For visitors exploring Přeštice, it makes a natural starting point for a walk across Masarykovo náměstí and a way into the town's own layered history, one shared by many small Czech towns that experienced the same political turns.

Frequently asked questions

Who was T. G. Masaryk? Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was the first president of Czechoslovakia and a co-founder of the independent Czechoslovak state established in 1918, widely honoured as the "father of the nation."

Is the statue in Přeštice the original one? The figure dates from the interwar period, but after being removed in 1953 and re-unveiled in 1995, it now stands in a different spot on the square — in the park section rather than in front of the former savings bank building.

Where exactly is the statue located in Přeštice? On Masarykovo náměstí, the town's main square, in its park section.

What does the plaque next to the statue say? It commemorates those who worked and died for the freedom of the nation during 1914–1918 and 1939–1945.