Academics criticize the statue of Jošt, which is set to be erected in Brno

Brno - Members of the civic association Moravian-Silesian Academy for Education, Science, and Art criticize the modern statue of John of Luxembourg, which is set to be erected at Moravian Square in the center of Brno. They believe it is not realistic and could rather become a disgrace. This emerged from an open letter from the members of the civic association addressed to the leadership of the Brno City Hall, which is available to ČTK. They demand the cancellation of the competition and the announcement of a new one, even at the cost of delaying the statue's construction by several years. According to Mayor Roman Onderka (CSSD), cancellation of the competition is not possible.
     The current proposal is not the first; the city council initiated a competition for the statue of John several years ago. However, they did not like any of the proposals at that time and ultimately did not order the production of the work. The current winning design by painter and sculptor Jaroslav Róna has some elements significantly oversized. The horse on which John is seated has, for example, very long legs and neck in relation to the rest of its body. The total cost of the statue’s construction is 6.8 million crowns.
     "We protest against the placement of the last selected statue here, which does not take into account the real appearance of Margrave John, which can be reconstructed quite accurately, nor does it consider the appearance of a real horse. We also emphasize that Margrave John is not a postmodern fiction," the letter signed by Jindřich Klapka states. According to him, the statue could rather become a disgrace than an ornament.
     Mayor Onderka previously stated that he likes the statue and also voted for the winning design. "The results of the competition cannot be canceled according to the Public Procurement Act, and at this moment I am not considering that the winning work would not be realized," Onderka stated for ČTK. The city had originally planned to start the construction of the statue this year.
     John of Luxembourg (1351 to 1411) was a Moravian Margrave and later also a Roman King. During his reign, he restored the mint in Brno and was known for his erudition and scholarly knowledge. According to historians, he was among the most significant Moravian politicians. He did not hesitate to change his opinions to achieve his goals.