Zprávy památkové péče 2015, 75(2):103-114

The centenarian Jan Hus monument

Marie Foltýnová

The ideological conflict of 1889 between the representatives of the Young Czech Party and conservative parties around the name of Jan Hus at the new building of the National Museum started a twenty-five-year effort to build a monumental memorial to Jan Hus in Prague. An association for building a Jan Hus memorial was founded in Prague which, together with other institutions and individuals, first began to collect funds to build the monument. In addition to competition auditions to select the best artistic design, the association also pushed for the placement of the monument on one of Prague's prestigious squares. The winning design by sculpture Ladislav Šaloun and architect Antonín Pfeifer in 1901 was reworked several times into its final form before it was finally realized.
The Municipal Gallery of Prague, which is responsible for the management of the Jan Hus memorial, completed its restoration for the six hundredth anniversary of Hus' martyrdom and the centenary of its unveiling. During the preparations, detailed surveys and analyses were carried out that allowed for the determination of the optimal procedure for restoring the bronze shell of the sculpture, the granite architectural pedestals, and the underground bicameral ring tunnel construction of the foundation. The condition of the monument corresponded to its age; first of all it was necessary to resolve the climate and drainage of rainwater and condensation in the middle of the statue and in the underground corridors. The bronze shell of the sculpture is composed of more than 300 parts connected with bolts, all of which were heavily corroded and had to be replaced with stainless steel.
The surface of the granite pedestal of the monument as well as the surface of the bronze shell underwent thorough cleaning and preservation. The joints between the granite blocks needed to be cleaned and renovated to prevent the ingress of water and separation of the stone blocks.
The Jan Hus monument in the Old Town Square in Prague, after the completion of its comprehensive restoration, now stands out in all its monumentality and is an example of the outstanding artistic level of Czech modern sculpture from the early 20th century.

Keywords: memorial, Jan Hus, Old Town Square, Šaloun, restoration

Published: June 1, 2015  Show citation