The Battery of The Dead - Chlum, Czech Republic
Posted by: 
ToRo61
N 50° 16.736 E 015° 44.560
33U E 552915 N 5569907
The photo shows one of the many monuments of the Battle of Königgrätz.
Waymark Code: WMKN86
Location: Královéhradecký kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 05/05/2014
Views: 38
The Battle of Königgrätz, also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire - see also (
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The Battery of The Dead
On July 3, 1866, Captain van der Groeben and his horse battery No 7!VIII were assigned to the artillery reserve of the 3rd Army Corps. Eight of van der Groeben's guns were placed northwest of Chlum facing the Svib Forest and Maslowed (Maslojedy). At about 3:10 PM, immediately after he found out, that the enemy came unnoticed to the back of the Austrian Army centre and that it is at Chlum, the captain stopped the fire of his battery, drew some two hundred steps to the village and turned the gun barrels against Chlum. They succeeded to fire about ten shots and halted the oncoming Prussian guards for some time, before the rapid-fire of the enemy silenced Groeben's battery. The commander, another officer First Lieutenant Heinrich Wolf, 52 men and 68 horses were killed at the same time. The slain captain was honored in memoriam with the Military Order of Maria Theresa.
The monument to August van der Groeben's Battery of the Dead (No 275) was built by the Committee for maintenance of monuments at the battlefield of Koniggratz (Hradec Kralove) with the contribution of the Maria Teresa Military Order and the Austrian artillery at the cost of 4,000 Guldens. It is a ten meter high column made from Horice sandstone, on its front side an embossed lion rests on the wreckage of a broken gun. On the top of the column, there is a statue of Austria more than two meters high, holding a shield in its left hand and a laurel in its right hand. The column is decorated with a helmet, a wreath of oak leaves and a palm, heads of medusas and the muzzles of bronze guns jut out from the columns. On the sides of the column we can see four lanterns with flam-beaus.
The monument was suggested by architect Vaclav Jan Weinzettl, professor at the Technical College for Sculptors and Masons at Horice. The model and the ornamental work were done by teachers and students of the school. The sculptural and stone-cutting work according to the model by Professor Amost Popp from Prague was made by sculptors Antonin Sesina and Jan Jandera from Horice. Bronze reliefs and small sculptures with military motifs, decorating the column, were supplied by V. Masek's firm from Prague-Karlin, the copper wreath was made by chaser Frantisek Houdel from Prague and the iron chains by brothers Pechaneks from Horice.
The monument was ceremoniously unveiled on October 3,1893.