Trutnov Square is once again adorned with a statue of Emperor Joseph II.

Trutnov - The times of the Habsburg monarchy will be commemorated in Trutnov from today by a two-meter statue of Emperor Joseph II. The figure of the monarch has returned to Krakonošovo Square after 86 years. According to Mayor Ivan Adamce, the square once again has a dignified dominant feature.
"Discussions took place back in the 90s, but the statue could not be returned to the square. The councilors were influenced by Palacký's conception of history and Jirásek's dark age, which is why it probably didn't work out," said the mayor.
The mayor considers the son of Maria Theresa, who ruled from 1780 to 1790, to be a progressive monarch who introduced very modern reforms. The hardworking Habsburg visited the Trutnov region several times, first in 1766 after losing wars with Prussia, a second time after a famine in 1771, and a third time after the so-called potato war in 1779.
The life-sized statue depicts a standing Joseph II. holding a document in his hand. It stands on sandstone bases and a marble pedestal, which together measure about five meters. The statue is 2.2 meters tall, weighs approximately 300 kilograms, and is a casting of the original bronze statue that stood in the square from 1866 to 1923.
Work on the new statue lasted about four months. Workers at the HVH foundry in Horní Kalná, under the supervision of academic sculptor Paulina Skavová, first created a lukopren mold, which was filled with wax. The hardened wax then had to be reshaped and became the basis for a new mold, into which bronze was poured.
"The most work is then on the bronze casting. Individual parts are welded together and the joints are ground to be seamless. In the past, they were riveted and the joints were more visible. It is necessary to correct the work so that the parts fit well together," said the sculptor to ČTK.
The symbol of the Habsburg monarchy had to be put away during the First Republic and is now part of the Trutnov museum collections. However, it was no longer possible to return it to its original place. A poor ratio of zinc to tin caused the so-called bronze disease and the statue is deteriorating. Sculptor Skavová had to reconstruct the broken Order of the Golden Fleece that adorns Joseph's chest, and the missing console on the column.
"The statue is truly beautiful and dignified; it reflects pure Austrian precision. I would be glad if new statues were made today as well, which is a general problem, as very few are made. But I am glad that we at least respect history," said the sculptor.
Joseph II was very popular in the 19th century. His monuments appeared mainly in areas with a predominantly German-speaking population. By 1882, twenty-five of his monuments had been erected in northern Bohemia alone. After the establishment of Czechoslovakia, many were torn down, and during World War II, many of them were melted down for cannons. To this day, a statue of Joseph II remains in Hostinné in the Trutnov region.