St. Wenceslas Statue at Wenceslas Square

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St. Wenceslas Statue

If you have ever been to Prague Wenceslas Square, you have most likely seen this statue – St. Wenceslas on a horse. The big statue is the dominant feature of Wenceslas Square and it is extremely important in both Czech history and present life of Prague.

St. Wenceslas, patron of the Czech State

Wenceslas (or Wenceslaus) was the Duke of Bohemia in early 10th century and member of the Premyslid dynasty. He is best known through his tragic death – he was murdered in 935 AD (the year and date is disputed, some sources state 929 or 932) by a group of nobles led by his younger brother, Boleslav. The site of the murder, a church in Stara Boleslav (about 20 km from Prague), is an important religious place. Wenceslas was canonised and his day is a public holiday in the Czech Republic (28 September). There are many legends connected with St. Wenceslas and he even occurs in a popular christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” (interestingly, this carol is well-known in the English speaking world, but not much in the Czech Republic).

St. Wenceslas Statue and Wenceslas Square in modern history

Wenceslas Square has been the site of many important events in the modern Czech history. Great victories and defeats were witnessed here, among them the Nazi occupation during World War II, Soviet invasion in 1968, or Velvet Revolution in 1989. Because of its easy location, St. Wenceslas Statue has been a popular meeting point – many people just say they’ll meet you “u kone”, which means “by the horse”.

• Wenceslas Square: Looking from St. Wenceslas Statue (Winter Picture)
• Walking at Wenceslas Square in Winter
• Taxi Stand at Wenceslas Square in Winter
• Bila Labut Department Store at Wenceslas Square
• Prague Wenceslas Square Covered with Snow
• National Museum and Upper End of Wenceslas Square

Topics: Wenceslas Square, Prague Pictures, St. Wenceslas, Velvet Revolution, World War II