Saint Adalbert, Stone statue on Charles Bridge, Czech Republic

The statue of Adalbert of Prague on the south side of Charles Bridge was carved by Ferdinand Brokoff and Michal Jan Josef Brokoff. The original was moved away and a copy now stands in its place. The figure shows the bishop with a staff ending in a paddle.

The sculpture was created in 1709 by artists Michael and Ferdinand Brokoff, commissioned by Markus Bernard Joanelli, a Prague Old Town councilor. This work was part of a wave of monument installations on the bridge that began in the early 1700s.

The Czech name Vojtěch is carved on the pedestal, and Czech pilgrims still call the figure by it. Adalbert was a Prague bishop who left for Prussia as a missionary and was killed there in 997; the paddle on his staff refers to that journey. The statue was commissioned by Old Town councillor Markus Bernard Joanelli.

The monument is accessible year-round as part of the open-air sculpture gallery along the bridge and is easy to view while crossing. Visitors should know that the bridge can become quite busy, especially during peak tourist times.

The paddle that emerges from the bishop's staff references the saint's legend as a missionary who worked in Prussia and died there. This unusual detail makes the statue particularly interesting to art historians and those familiar with religious iconography.