Wilson statue in Vrchlického Sady, Bronze memorial statue in Vrchlického Sady park, Prague, Czech Republic
The Wilson statue is a bronze figure of the American president Woodrow Wilson standing in Vrchlického Sady park, close to Prague Main Station. The figure stands with outstretched arms on a stone base that holds commemorative plaques and inscriptions.
The original monument by Albin Polasek was unveiled on 4 July 1928, a gift from Americans of Czech and Slovak origin, with architect Bohumil Hübschmann designing the base. On 12 December 1941, after Germany declared war on the USA, the occupation authorities had the statue torn down and destroyed. The replica was unveiled on 5 October 2011 at a new spot near the station, since the original site was built over by the new station hall between 1972 and 1977.
The inscriptions on the base are written in Czech and English, marking the connection between the United States and the founding of Czechoslovakia. Visitors can read the texts directly at the monument as they walk around the pedestal.
The monument sits right next to Prague Main Station and is easy to reach on foot from many parts of the city center. The park has no entrance fee, so visitors can stop by at any time and take their time reading the plaques.
The replica unveiled in 2011 was modelled anew because the sculptor Oldřich Hejtmánek, who had cast a copy of the original head from the National Museum's Lapidarium, refused to hand it to the winning team of Václav Frýdecký, Michal Blažek and Daniel Talavera after losing the 2008 competition.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,382 contributors worldwide.
