Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

T. G. Masaryk Square (náměstí T. G. Masaryka) is the main square of Dvůr Králové nad Labem, a town on the Elbe river in northeastern Bohemia. It takes its name from Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first and longest-serving president of Czechoslovakia, remembered by Czechs as "Tatíček" and regarded as the founding father of the independent state. The square itself, though, has its own centuries-old story: a historic town hall, an Art Nouveau townhouse and a Baroque column ring a fountain crowned by a sculpture pulled straight out of local legend.

Why is the square named after Masaryk?

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937) led Czechoslovakia from its founding in 1918 until 1935, longer than any other president in the country's history. In Czech collective memory he is remembered as the "liberator president," a philosopher and statesman whose initials, TGM, became a kind of national shorthand. Naming Dvůr Králové's main square after him — like dozens of other squares and streets across the country — was, in the interwar years, a way of paying tribute to the man credited with independence. Such tributes had a turbulent history elsewhere in Czechoslovakia: Masaryk monuments and plaques in many towns were removed during the wartime occupation and again after the 1948 communist takeover, only returning to public space after 1989.

What's actually on the square?

At the heart of the square stands the town hall, whose oldest core dates back to 1572 and which was rebuilt into its present form in 1833; it still houses the local municipal offices today. Next to it rises an Art Nouveau townhouse built in 1909-1910 for a local consumer cooperative, easily recognizable by its ornate early-20th-century facade. A third landmark is a Baroque Marian column shaped like an ornate pyramid, the work of sculptor Josef Procházka of Chrudim, completed between 1750 and 1754.

Why is there a fountain with a warrior on it?

The centerpiece of the square is a fountain topped by a sculpture of Záboj, a legendary hero from the so-called Queen's Court Manuscript — a 19th-century literary forgery supposedly discovered right here in Dvůr Králové. The figure, shown in old Slavic dress with a sword and a lute-like instrument, was carved by local sculptors František and Antonín Wagner and unveiled on 29 September 1857 to mark the 40th anniversary of the manuscript's "discovery." In 1950 the fountain was moved to the edge of town; it only returned to the square in 2005, after restoration, and has served as its centerpiece ever since.

What is the square used for today?

Náměstí T. G. Masaryka functions as Dvůr Králové's main marketplace and gathering point — walking routes through the historic centre start here, and the square doubles as the starting point for local mobile apps and geolocation games aimed at visitors. It makes a natural first stop for exploring a town best known for its zoo and for its supposed connection to the Queen's Court Manuscript.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the square in Dvůr Králové named after Masaryk? It honors Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, following a pattern seen in many Czech towns that named their main squares after him in the interwar period.

Is there a statue of Masaryk himself on the square? No — the square's centerpiece is an 1857 fountain with a sculpture of Záboj, a legendary figure from the Queen's Court Manuscript, not a monument to Masaryk.

What else is worth seeing on the square besides the fountain? The town hall (core dating to 1572), an Art Nouveau cooperative building from 1909-1910, and a Baroque Marian column from the mid-18th century.

When did the Záboj fountain return to its original spot? After being relocated to the edge of town in 1950, it came back to the square following a restoration completed in 2005.