Krannerova kašna Fountain

Welcome to the heart of Prague, on Smetana's waterfront, where the River Vltava slowly winds up around historic buildings and the breeze tells stories from many centuries. Please stop for a moment and focus fully on what you see right in front of you. You stand before one of the very special and fascinating works, which is Krannerova kašna. The first impression of this building is certainly a sense of nobility and certain drama. Notice how dominant he is in his high, pointy form, which resembles the Gothic Cathedral. It is a place where water, art and politics join together, and all within one monumental unit, which today forms an integral part of the National Awakening Park.

In order to understand why this monument is even standing here, we have to go back almost two yards in our minds. Let us move to the middle of the nineteenth century, when Prague was another city, but its ambitions were as great as today. The whole story began in 1840, when the Czech Parliament decided that it was necessary to pay tribute to the Emperor Franz first. It was an act of gratitude and political declaration. The laying of the foundation stone itself took place in 1845, and after several years of creative work, in 1850, the fountain was festively revealed to the public. The author of this ambitious project was the architect Josef Kranner, who put into the work his idea of what should be a tribute to the monarch in the spirit of that time.

Now, please pay attention to the architecture itself and to what you're seeing right now. Look up. The dominance of the whole piece is a high fial, which is the thin one, ending with the tip of the element that goes to the sky. On top of it you will see the riding statue of Emperor Franz first. The Emperor here is not only depicted as a ruler, but as a character who watches and is surrounded by his subjects. But if you look below, you will see that the monument is not just about one man. The whole structure is surrounded by a series of characters that have deep symbolic significance. Note the statues that represent ideal states and human activity. There are images that are meant to resemble crafts, science and the order on which society stood at that time. In addition, here you will find characters symbolizing the Czech region, which makes the whole work a map of the then Czech territory carved into stone. This whole set of elements gives memory of its second, very poetic name, which is Hold of Czech states. It's an image of unification and loyalty, materialized in a neo-gothic style, which at that time experienced its great revival.

But if we go further in time, we will find that the fate of this monument was very stormy, like the fate of the people who lived in this city. History is not only about construction, but about what happens to it when regimes and ideology change. In 1919, after the creation of a separate Czechoslovakia, there was a fundamental change. The emperor's equestrian statue, which had dominated the peak of the musical for so long, was married. At that time, it was no longer seen as appropriate that a monument of a former monarch stood in such a form at the heart of the new state. The statue was transferred to the Lapidarium of the National Museum where it was stored outside the direct view of the public. So the fountain remained incomplete for many decades, as a reminder of the past, which was present but partially erased.

This condition lasted until modern times. A major act of renewal took place in 2003. It was decided that the monument should be returned to its original form, not out of respect for imperial power, but out of respect for the historical truth and artistic value of Josef Kranner's work. So a faithful copy of the equestrian statue was installed at the top of the musical and water was reintroduced, which breathed new life into the whole piece. Today you can hear the noise of water that accompanies your tour and remind us that monuments can be reborn.

When you're standing in the National Awakening Park, feel the atmosphere of this place. This park is not randomly named. It is a space connected with the great personalities that shaped the Czech nation. Although the fountain is a monument to the emperor, its surroundings breathe the spirit of people like František Palacký, who was the father of Czech national revival, or Karel Havlíček Borovský, a brave journalist and critic. Even Josef Max, an important historian, returns in his thoughts to similar epoch. It's a fascinating contrast. On the one hand we have a Hold of Czech states, a symbol of hierarchy and imperial power, and on the other hand a park that celebrates the awakening of the nation, its freedom and intellectual growth. It is in this tension between loyalty to the old order and the desire for a new beginning that lies the true power of this place.

Perhaps you are now interested in one interesting thing that makes the monument something more than a stone object. Notice how the neo-gothic style intersects with the function of the water work. In the nineteenth century, the fountains were not only ornaments, but they were meant to express progress and hygiene, bringing water to urban areas. Krannerova kašna therefore served as a bridge between the beauty of art and practical use. It is a so-called total project where architecture, sculpture and water engineering form one harmonious whole. The mystery of this place is how over time our view of it changed. From the celebration of the emperor, to the period of oblivion and removal, to today's perception as a valuable historical artifact.

Take one last look at the details at the bottom of the monument. Try to guess which of the regional symbols represents your area or which of the characters of human activity speaks to you the most. Each of us sees something different in these stone faces because each of us sees history differently.

Now that you know the story of Kranner's fountain, its take-offs and falls, I suggest you slowly continue to explore the waterfront. Let the Vltava flow guide you and see how modern Prague intersects with these silent witnesses of the past. I hope this short trip in time helped you better understand the spirit of this place. I wish you a pleasant further journey and many other discoveries in our beautiful city. Goodbye.