World War I Memorial in Úvaly

The World War I Memorial in Úvaly stands on the town's main square, Náměstí Arnošta z Pardubic, in the Prague-East District, a short distance east of the Czech capital. It belongs to a wave of memorials raised across Czech towns in the 1920s to honor residents who never returned from the front.

When was the memorial unveiled?

The monument was formally unveiled on 1 November 1924, six years after the war ended and Czechoslovakia gained independence. The date falls close to All Saints' Day, a time traditionally associated with remembering the dead in the region.

Who designed it and what is it made of?

The memorial was created by stonemason Alois Formánek from the nearby town of Český Brod. It is built of stone, combining sandstone and granite, with dark, smoothly finished panels bearing the inscriptions and names.

What does the memorial look like?

The design takes the form of a slender obelisk rising from a square base that narrows through several clearly defined steps. The middle section forms a prism-shaped block, and it is here, on all four sides, that the engraved plaques are mounted. The upper part of the monument also tapers and is decorated with ornamental half-wreaths of plant motifs, a style typical of Czech war memorials from this period.

Who is the memorial dedicated to?

The plaques list twenty-six names of Úvaly residents who were killed or went missing during the First World War. For a small town, a loss of this scale touched nearly every family, which is why the memorial has served for a century as the town's focal point for remembrance and annual commemorative gatherings.

What inscriptions appear on the memorial?

Alongside the list of the fallen, the plaques carry quotations from three figures central to Czech national identity: Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia; Karel Havlíček Borovský, a 19th-century writer and journalist; and A. E. Mužík. Pairing the names of the dead with these words gives the memorial a meaning that extends beyond commemoration alone, tying it to the broader idea of independence that the residents of Úvaly fought and died for.

Has the memorial been restored?

Yes. The main plaque underwent restoration in 2018, marking the centenary of the end of the First World War and the founding of independent Czechoslovakia. As part of that restoration, a time capsule was placed inside the monument containing memorabilia and soil brought from the battlefield of Zborov in Ukraine, the site of one of the most significant engagements of the Czechoslovak legions in 1917. The gesture symbolically links Úvaly's local history to the wider national struggle for independence.

Where exactly is the memorial located?

The memorial stands on Náměstí Arnošta z Pardubic, the central square of Úvaly, a town in the Prague-East District. It forms a natural landmark in the middle of the town, easily reached by anyone taking even a short walk across the main square.

Frequently asked questions

When was the memorial in Úvaly unveiled? On 1 November 1924.

Who made the memorial? Stonemason Alois Formánek from Český Brod.

How many people does the memorial commemorate? Twenty-six residents of Úvaly killed or missing during the First World War.

What material is the memorial made of? Stone - a combination of sandstone and granite, with dark engraved plaques.

Where is the memorial located? On Náměstí Arnošta z Pardubic, the main square of Úvaly in the Prague-East District.

Has the memorial been restored? Yes, the main plaque was restored in 2018, and a time capsule containing soil from the Zborov battlefield was placed inside the monument.