Zprávy památkové péče 2015, 75(3):254-260

The risks of renovating the Marian Column on the Old Town Square

Lubomír Sršeň

The article returns to the current debate on the possible renewal of the Marian Column on the Old Town Square and attempts to summarize the most important heritage and ideological arguments that lead to doubts about the entire project and its hitherto implementation. The introduction deals with an analysis of the ideological mission of the demolished statue which forms the core of the disputes in the public debate, the main points of which are summarized in the article. The main focus, however, is on the actual heritage and restoration aspects of the problem. It reminds the reader of the obscurities regarding whether the renovation should be about restoration, reconstruction, or a loose imitation based on the older model. It also draws attention to the very limited extent of preserved documentation on the column which apparently would not permit the execution of the thus-declared faithful copy of the demolished column monument.

Keywords: Marian Column, reconstruction, iconography, Old Town Square

Published: September 1, 2015  Show citation