Sculptural group of St. Norbert, St. Wenceslas and St. Sigismund on Charles Bridge / Sousoší Sv. Norberta, Sv. Václava a Sv. Zikmunda na Karlove moste (Prague) - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Depicted sculptural group of St. Norbert, St. Wenceslas and St. Sigismund (sousoší Sv. Norberta, Sv. Václava a Sv. Zikmunda) is one of 31 historic statues (...or groups) decorating famous Gothic Charles Bridge (Karluv most) in Prague' centre.

What makes Charles Bridge a top tourist attraction is the open air sculptural gallery which adorns it. It was created much later than the actual bridge construction, mostly in 1706-1714 in the expectation of the canonisation of John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomucký). Despite the partial changes the gallery has undergone since its creation, it is still a great reflection of the history of the Czech lands - there are 31 statues and groups of statues in all on the bridge today with approximately 100 figures, among them also prime works of the great men of central European sculpture Matthias B. Braun and Ferdinand M. Brokoff. Since 1965 the precious originals of the statues have been gradually replaced by replicas. In extent and quality this bridge gallery has no equal in Europe.

The sculptural group of St. Norbert, St. Wenceslas and St. Sigismund is the 7th one on the right looking from the Old Town Bridge Tower. The sandstone sculptural group, work of Josef Max (1853), was donated by an abbot from the Strahov Monastery Jeroným Zeidler (1790–1834). The academically portrayed saints are on a pseudo-Gothic pedestal. St. Norbert is in the middle, St. Sigismund is on his right and St. Wenceslas, holding a pennon, is on his left. Latin inscriptions on the pedestal say: Donated by Jeroným Zeidler, an abbot of Strahov, for the third time in 1853 with the statues of St. Wenceslas and St. Sigismund, in memory of St. Norbert, a holy patriach and canon of the Order of Premonstratensians and a patron of the Czech Kingdom. St. Wenceslas, a martyr, Czech prince and patron. The grace and consolation of the land (on the left); St. Sigismund, a martyr. A king of Burgundy, Czech patron and eternal warrior of the Kingdom of Christ (on the right).

Norbert of Xanten (c. 1080 – 6 June 1134), also known as Norbert Gennep, was a bishop of the Catholic Church, founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, and is venerated as a saint.

Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav; c. 907 – September 28, 935), or Wenceslas I, was the duke (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, purportedly in a plot by his own brother, Boleslav the Cruel. His martyrdom, and the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a reputation for heroic goodness, resulting in his being elevated to sainthood, posthumously declared king, and seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of "Good King Wenceslas", a Saint Stephen's Day carol written over 900 years later, in 1853, that remains popular to this day.

St. Sigismund (died 524) was king of the Burgundians from 516 to his death. He was the son of king Gundobad, whom he succeeded in 516. Sigismund and his brother Godomar were defeated in battle by Clovis' sons and Godomar fled. Sigismund was taken by Chlodomer, King of Orléans, where he was kept as a prisoner. Later he, his wife and children were executed. Godomar then rallied the Burgundian army and won back his kingdom. Meanwhile, Chlodomer ordered the death of Sigismund and marched with his brother Theuderic I, King of Metz, on Burgundy in 524. [wiki]