Explore the Symbolism of this artwork, Jan Hus Memorial.
To the people of Bohemia and other regions around Prague,  Jan Hus became a symbol of dissidence and a symbol of strength against oppressive regimes.  His opposition to church control by the Vatican gave strength to those who opposed control of Czech lands by the Habsburgs in the 19th century, and Hus soon became a symbol of anti-Habsburg rule.
He is said to stand arrogantly in the square in defiance of the cathedral before him. In 1918, a Marian Column that had been erected in the square shortly after the Thirty Years' War was demolished in celebration of independence from the Habsburg monarchy.
When Czechoslovakia was under Communist rule, sitting at the feet of the Jan Hus memorial became a way of quietly expressing one's opinion and opposition against the Communist rule.
The memorial was restored in 2007.
Habsburgs independence Marian Column Thirty Years' War Czechoslovakia Bohemia Habsburg monarchy Prague Jan Hus