Statues

Jiří Seifert’s Plague Column

Seifert’s 2.5-metre-high column, also known as Mezník (“Milestone”), returns to Liberec after a long 56 years. From August 2025 it will temporarily adorn the corner of the historic Town Hall, recalling both the city’s turbulent history and the power of art.
Location
Address:nám. Dr. E. BenešeLiberec, 460 01GPS:50°46'10.2''N; 15°03'30.3''E[Map]
Contact
– not available –

A Tribute to the Author and a Symbol of August 1968

The placement of the sculpture in front of the Town Hall is no coincidence. The City of Liberec regards it as a tribute to its creator, Jiří Seifert, and his wife Hana, former director of the Liberec Regional Gallery. Their life stories are closely connected with the August 1968 occupation. That is why the ceremonial unveiling of the work was symbolically scheduled for the early morning of 21 August.


The Seiferts and the Liberec Cultural Scene

In the 1960s, Jiří and Hana Seifert were at the heart of Liberec’s cultural life. They actively opposed the occupation, and shortly afterwards Jiří Seifert presented his works Calvary and Plague Column at the exhibition Sculpture and the City. His courage, however, had consequences—he lost the opportunity to exhibit publicly for many years.


A Travelling Sculpture

The artwork has been loaned to Liberec for 20 years from the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb. In the future, Seifert’s Mezník will be relocated to Liberec’s Českých bratří Square.