The author of the statue of Margrave Jošt will presumably be Kotrba

Brno - The author of the equestrian statue of the Roman king and Moravian margrave Jošt of Luxembourg (1351 to 1411) for Brno will most likely be the sculptor Marius Kotrba. His design was selected today as the winner by the city council, said the spokesperson of the magistrate Pavel Žára to Czech News Agency (ČTK). According to Mayor Roman Onderka, however, the council only decided today on awarding the prize in the artistic competition. They will deal with the actual commissioning of the sculptural work at some future meetings, Onderka told ČTK.
    The equestrian sculpture is to be Kotrba's second work in Moravské náměstí in the center. According to Onderka, it is possible that the council will soon assign him the commission. However, it is also possible that the city will withdraw from it due to a lack of funds, said the mayor. He did not rule out that if the statue were to be made later, it could be based on a design from a new competition. The statue is expected to cost ten million crowns. Kotrba already won the competition for the statue of Justice last year, which will adorn the space in front of the Supreme Administrative Court in the same square. "He is already working on it. It should be finished by spring next year at the latest," Onderka said.
    Kotrba has depicted the margrave on horseback using a modern artistic language. Although it is an equestrian statue, it does not remotely resemble Myslbek's Saint Wenceslas from Prague's Wenceslas Square in style. For the statue of Justice, he also did not choose the traditional attribute of scales, instead, he depicted Justice as a figure of a man lifting a block off the ground while squatting.
    Jošt was one of the most significant Moravian rulers. He ruled Moravia for over 35 years. He was the margrave of Moravia and Brandenburg and controlled Kladsko, Luxembourg, and also western Slovakia. In 1410, he was elected king of the Romans, defeating his cousin Sigismund by a margin of one vote. He was not crowned because he died in January 1411.
    A public collection for Jošt's statue has already been established, currently holding 1.4 million crowns. The statue is to be unveiled on October 1, 2010, the 600th anniversary of Jošt, known as the Moravian, being elected king of the Romans. The work will stand by the Church of Saint Thomas, where Jošt's remains are laid to rest.
    After its renovation, four sculptural objects representing the four virtues are to stand in Moravské náměstí. The margrave is to represent courage, while the other works besides Justice will be Temperance and Wisdom.