High above us towers the Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk at Prague Castle. This granite monolith stands as a poignant World War I memorial. Designed by Jo\u017ee Ple\u010dnik it reaches a height of 16 meters. Let’s delve into the story of this striking monument.
The Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk’s tale begins with Tom\u00e1\u0161 Garrigue Masaryk. The first Czechoslovak President wanted a memorial for Czechs and Slovaks who died in World War One. He envisioned a simple plaque.
However castle architect Josip Ple\u010dn\u00edk proposed an obelisk. It was to be placed in the Paradise Garden. Public funds would cover the cost.
Initially the plan was grand. A tender was announced for an obelisk between 30 and 34 meters high. But the Mrakotin Stone Company could only supply one up to 19 meters. An order was placed in 1923. It included granite for a fountain bowl and the obelisk.
The granite block extracted weighed 120 tons. It measured 20 meters long. Both the Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk and bowl were intended for the Paradise Garden. During transport the obelisk slid downhill. It crashed into the bowl. The top 6.3 meters broke off.
The bowl was placed in the Paradise Garden. The broken piece found its way to Tel\u010d Square of Heroes. The larger part went near Palack\u00e9ho Nam\u011bsti. It commemorates Prague citizens killed in World War I.
Undeterred a second attempt was made in 1923. Masaryk himself funded it. A new granite piece was quarried. It broke during transport losing 3.3 meters. This left a 15.6-meter piece weighing 112 tons.
Ple\u010dn\u00edk changed the Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk’s location. It moved from the Paradise Garden to the Third Courtyard. Transporting the granite took considerable time. It spent the winter of 1925/26 at Dejvice railway station.
The final leg of the journey was short but arduous. It took 22 days to move the stone to the Third Courtyard. There it was worked on for two and a half years. The finished Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk stands 15.42 meters tall. It weighs almost 96 tonnes. An iron prism anchors it 3.8 meters into the ground.
The Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk was unveiled on October 28th 1928. This marked the tenth anniversary of the republic. It took six days to position the monument. It commemorates Czechs and Slovaks who died in World War I.
Interestingly there is a hollow space beneath the obelisk. It’s accessible from the Old Deanery building. The tomb of an unknown soldier was considered. However this plan was never realized.
The top of the Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk features a pyramidion. It’s made of gold-plated steel. This final touch was added in 1996.
The Pta\u010d\u00ed obelisk at Prague Castle is more than a stone structure. It represents resilience artistic vision and national memory. Its troubled journey reflects the complexities of its time. It stands as a powerful reminder of sacrifice and remembrance.