Zprávy památkové péče 2015, 75(3):236-239
Krocín fountain. Its fame, barbaric demise and the impossibility of recovery
The Krocín Fountain on the Old Town Square was an extremely valuable sculptural work from the late 16th century. In 1862 it was unceremoniously removed from the square on the justification that its technical and sculptural repair was too expensive for the city council. Some of the pieces were also used secondarily as building material for the foundations of the gasworks in Žižkov. This literally barbaric act resulted in lasting trauma for the Czech cultural community which led to attempts at the restoration of the fountain torso and its renewal in the public environment in 1895 and 1915. Each time, however, the intention proved unfeasible since it would have been impossible to build the complete fountain from preserved torsos and debris, but at the same time it is not possible to make a copy of the non-existent original. Yet still today, there are proposals to create a replica of the Krocín Fountain. The torso of the original fountain is now part of the exhibition of the Lapidary of the National Museum at the Prague Exhibition Grounds.
Keywords: Old Town Square, Krocín Fountain, monument demolition, reconstruction
Published: September 1, 2015 Show citation
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