Statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in Kutná Hora

The Statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in Kutná Hora stands on Havlíčkovo náměstí, right in front of the entrance to the Italian Court (Vlašský dvůr) — the town's former royal mint and one of its most important historic buildings. The bronze figure of Czechoslovakia's first president has survived a turbulent history of removal and destruction, having been torn down and melted down twice before its current version was finally unveiled in 1991.

Who created the monument?

The statue was designed by Czech sculptor Karel Dvořák, with the architectural setting created by Pavel Janák, one of the leading figures of Czech cubist and functionalist architecture. Their joint work was unveiled on 27 October 1938, on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of Czechoslovak independence.

Why was the statue removed?

The monument's fate mirrors the turbulent twentieth-century history of the Czech lands. On the night of 18–19 June 1940, during the German occupation, the figure was taken down — the occupying authorities had no tolerance for public tributes to the symbol of an independent republic. In July 1942 the bronze cast was melted down, most likely to supply raw material for the war industry.

After the war, thanks to the efforts of Protestant minister Jan Dus, the monument was rebuilt and re-unveiled on the exact anniversary of its first unveiling — 27 October 1948. This version, however, lasted only until the late 1950s: between 14 and 18 January 1959, the communist authorities removed the statue for a second time, and the figure itself was melted down in 1964–1965. As a symbol of pre-war democracy, Masaryk did not fit the official narrative of the era.

When did the statue return to its place?

The third and current version of the monument was only made possible after the Velvet Revolution. The statue was recast by Miloslav Smrkovský and Petr Krámek, and its ceremonial unveiling took place on 27 October 1991 — once again on a date symbolically tied to the anniversary of Czechoslovak independence. The unveiling was performed by the town's mayor at the time, Jaroslav Benda.

What is written on the pedestal?

The front face of the pedestal carries an inscription recounting the monument's history: it notes that the statue was originally built on the initiative of a citizens' committee, and records the subsequent acts of destruction (1942, 1959) and restoration (1948, 1991). This text turns the monument into more than a tribute to Masaryk — it also serves as a record of how successive political regimes treated symbols of independence differently over the decades.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The monument is located in the center of Kutná Hora, on Havlíčkovo náměstí, directly beside the entrance to the Vlašský dvůr complex — the former seat of the royal mint, where Prague groschen coins were struck from the fourteenth century onward. The proximity of these two landmarks, a medieval treasury building and a twentieth-century monument, creates a striking historical contrast right in the heart of the town.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk? Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850–1937) was a philosopher, sociologist, and statesman who served as the first president of independent Czechoslovakia, elected to the office four times between 1918 and 1935. He is widely remembered as "Papa Masaryk" and is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the modern Czech state.

Is the statue in Kutná Hora the original from 1938? No. The current figure dates from 1991 and is the third version of the monument — the two earlier ones were destroyed by successive totalitarian regimes, first Nazi, then communist.

Where in Kutná Hora does the Masaryk monument stand? On Havlíčkovo náměstí, directly in front of the entrance to the Vlašský dvůr, in the historic center of the town.

Who designed the monument? Sculptor Karel Dvořák and architect Pavel Janák created the original 1938 version. Later recastings were carried out by other craftsmen, but the composition remained faithful to the original design.