Zborovský pomník

The Zborov Monument (Zborovský pomník) in České Budějovice is a rare case of a monument that survived three separate unveilings, each following decades of concealment or destruction. It commemorates the Czechoslovak legionnaires who fell at the Battle of Zborov in 1917, and its turbulent history mirrors the shifting fortunes of national memory in 20th-century Czechoslovakia.

Who created the monument and what does it depict?

The monument was designed by Otto (Otakar František) Birma, a sculptor and former legionnaire who had served in the 1st Infantry Regiment of Master Jan Hus, based in České Budějovice. Birma titled the work "Voják na stráži" (Soldier on Guard): a figure carved from diorite, intended to represent vigilance guarding the young Czechoslovak state and the resolve of the soldiers who fought in the legions. The project was initiated and backed by Birma's own regiment.

How does the monument connect to the Battle of Zborov?

The Battle of Zborov took place in 1917 in what is now Ukraine, when Czechoslovak legion units clashed with German and Austro-Hungarian forces during the Russian Kerensky Offensive. The battle became one of the defining symbols of the Czechoslovak independence movement, since the legionnaires proved for the first time that a fighting force made up of compatriots serving outside the Habsburg monarchy could hold its own on the battlefield. The monument in České Budějovice was unveiled specifically to mark the battle's tenth anniversary, an occasion also marked by sending an honor guard unit to Zborov itself.

When was the monument first unveiled?

The ceremonial unveiling took place on 10 July 1927. It originally stood beside the barracks known as Žižkova kasárna (previously Haškovy kasárny), placing it right next to the military unit that had commissioned it.

How did the monument survive the wartime occupation?

Under German occupation, a monument depicting a Czechoslovak soldier was an obvious target for destruction. Local patriots carefully dismantled it and hid it, allowing it to survive the war in pieces rather than being destroyed. Once the war ended, in 1945, it was reassembled and put back on public display.

Why did the monument disappear a second time?

After 1968, during the period of normalization, the monument was torn down and removed as an inconvenient symbol of a pre-communist military tradition. Its fragments were scattered across various military facilities, where they lay largely forgotten for decades.

When and where was it unveiled for the third time?

The scattered fragments were rediscovered in 2011 in a depot in Rudolfov, near České Budějovice. Following restoration work, the monument was unveiled for a third time on 2 July 2013 — forty-five years after its removal. It was installed at a new site: a riverside park on the bank of the Malše River, between the South Bohemian Research Library building and the Gerbera shopping and business center, on Lidická street.

Where exactly can visitors find the monument today?

Today the monument stands on the bank of the Malše River next to the South Bohemian Research Library (Jihočeská vědecká knihovna) on Lidická street in České Budějovice — an easy walk from the city center, set in a green riverside park.

Frequently asked questions

Who created the monument? Otto Birma, a sculptor and veteran of the Czechoslovak legions who served in the 1st Infantry Regiment of Master Jan Hus in České Budějovice.

What does the monument commemorate? The Czechoslovak legionnaires who died at the Battle of Zborov in 1917, fought in present-day Ukraine during the Russian Kerensky Offensive.

When was it first unveiled? On 10 July 1927, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Zborov.

Why was the monument hidden or removed? During the German occupation, patriots dismantled and hid it to protect it from destruction; after 1968, the communist authorities themselves tore it down as an unwelcome symbol.

Where does the monument stand now? On the bank of the Malše River, in the park by the South Bohemian Research Library and the Gerbera center on Lidická street, since its third unveiling on 2 July 2013.