Monument to Master Jan Hus

On the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the burning of Master Jan Hus in Constance, a tender was announced for the creation of his monument. The competition was won by the SAD studio in collaboration with sculptor Martin Papcún. Together they presented a variable dynamic sculpture in the form of the inscription "For the Truth," located both on the facade of the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague and on the facade of the Stephansschule in Constance, where Hus was imprisoned before his execution. The typographic inscription was crafted by the architects as a series of horizontal stainless steel plates suspended on the front. Each plate is cut into a shape that casts the shadow of a specific letter on the wall at different times of the day and year. Thus, the entire motto appears on it. The architects used calculations based on the movement of the Earth and the Sun and the form of shadows during different time periods for the project. The inscription is fully visible only for a few hours during the summer months, most notably around July 6th, the day Jan Hus was burned. However, for most of the year, the inscription is not visible at all. The work thus subtly symbolizes both the transience and the constant presence of truth at the same time.