Karel Havlicek - Chicago, IL - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

More from the Smithsonian entry (visit link)
"Behind the sculpture is a granite wall with an inscription describing Havlicek, the martyred statesman of Bohemia.

Provenance: Formerly located Douglas Park, Opposite the Formal Garden, Chicago, Illinois 1911-1981.
Remarks: Sculpture was made in Prague from a model used by the artist to create his Havlicek monuments in Kuttenberg, and Ziskove, Czechoslovakia. In 1981 the sculpture was removed from Douglas Park and placed in storage.

Dimensions: Sculpture: approx. 10 x 4 x 4 ft.; Base: approx. 4 ft. 8 in. x 5 ft. x 5 ft.
Inscription: Jos Strachovsky 1909/V. Masek Praha 1010 signed Founder's mark appears."

From the Chicago Park District website pdf: (visit link)
"Chicago’s Karel Havlicek Monument was originally installed in Douglas Park on the city’s west side in 1911. A group of Bohemian Americans had organized the Karel Havlicek Monument Association and spent several years raising money for the memorial. They commissioned Josef Strachovsky (1850–1913), a sculptor from Praugue who had produced a monument to their revered countryman in 1907, and made two castings which were located in the Czech communities of Ziskove and Kuttenberg.Strachovsky portrayed the standing bronze figure Karel Havlicek (1821–1856) as though he is giving an impassioned speech — with one hand clutching his cape and the other extended out in a dramatic fashion. The Bohemian journalist, critic, and poet who had advocated for constitutional reform and national rights was considered a martyr because he died soon after an unjust arrest and four years of exile. Chicago’s Havlicek statue was placed on an elegant granite plaza with steps and a wall that included the following inscription: “In him Bohemia lost one of her best sons, a fearless defender of her rights and liberties, a man of sterling character. For which life sacrificed, his life!” In July of 1911, the festivities for the new Karel Havlicek Monument included a parade with elaborate floats followed by a procession of adults and children dressed in traditional Bohemian costumes. Governor Charles S. Deneen and Mayor Carter Harrison II unveiled the monument.Over the years, the Karel Havlicek Monument was frequently vandalized and damaged. In 1976, the communities of Cicero and Berwyn, which both have large populations of Bohemian and Slovak Americans, asked the Chicago Park District to allow the monument to be relocated to one of the two suburbs. Although the Park District did not approve this proposal, it complied with the Czechoslovak Society of America’s suggestion to find a new location for the sculpture in Chicago. In 1983, the monument was conserved and installed on Solidarity Drive near the Kosciusko and Copernicus monuments. Unfortunately, portions of the sculpture’s granite exedra were demolished when it was erected in its current location."

This area is a beautiful lakefront location with wonderful museums and harbor nearby, but parking can be a challenge, especially on weekends.

TITLE: Karel Havlicek ARTIST(S): Strachovsky, Josef, 1850-1913, sculptor. V. Masek, founder. DATE: 1909. Dedicated July 30, 1911 MEDIUM: Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite; Wall: granite. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 75004300 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located Burnham Park, Solidarity Drive, Chicago, Illinois The road between the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium was named "Solidarity Drive", in commemoration of Lech Walesa's successful "Solidarity Movement" helping to bring freedom to Poland, in 1998 after reconstruction of nearby shoreline. DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: It looks like some restoration work was done, so treatment is no longer currently needed.

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