A turbulent history

At one time a copper knight adorned the summit of the main city hall tower (61-metres in height) as a symbol of the protection of the rights and privileges of the city. This knight was removed in 1952 and is now found at the Museum of North Bohemia. A red star replaced the knight, but this was removed in 1989 and the summit became home to a lion, the symbol of the Czech Republic, from 1990 onwards. However, you won’t even see this lion today since it was removed from the summit. In August 2005, the statue of a knight was placed at the peak to give the tower its original appearance.

Witnesses of ancient (and more recent) times

The wind swirled around the various elements at the top of the tower, as we already know, but where did it actually take those that have been denounced by history ? As far as that goes, the answer is easy. History belongs in a museum, after all, and so it’s here - in the Fragments of Liberec exhibition in the North Bohemian Museum - that we find not only the original knight, but also the socialist star. And yes, the Czech lion is still there at the Town Hall, but it’s moved a few metres further down and you can see it at the foot of the main staircase, facing a copy of the fire bell from the old Town Hall across the "alley".

Roland’s a big fellow

It’s definitely no easy job taking the measurements of such a colossal chap, and you really need a stepladder. Our knight has sturdy shoulders (150 cm), well-developed biceps (63 cm), a narrow waist (100 cm), just the right hips (120 cm) and strong thighs (61 cm). He’s not likely to be embarrassed by his height (2.2 m) and weight (just over 100 kg), either. It’s also a difficult job to dress him, as he’s made up of 129 parts riveted, soldered and screwed together by the restorers. His largest garment is his cuirass (chest armour), while his pointed boot consists of 12 plates and his skirt is made up of around 7,000 rings.

A good knight has to be able to withstand everything, even the weather

Roland doesn’t have it easy up there at the top of the tower, his main enemies being the times and the weather. His skeleton is made of stainless steel so it doesn’t rust where it comes into contact with the copper surface. In one hand he holds a weathervane with a gilded finial and inscribed with the year 1892 (supposed to be the year in which the Town Hall was completed, but it took another year). The weathervane serves as a lightning rod and turns as the wind blows. The sword that the knight holds in his other hand also moves. We have to admit that this was a truly amazing job by the Monstranz metalworking workshop from Mašov near Turnov and artistic blacksmith Jan Nikendey from Jablonec!