''Calvary'' () is an outdoor sculpture, installed on the third pillar of the north side of the

Charles Bridge Charles Bridge ( , ) is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the early 15th century.; The bridge replaced ...

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Czech Republic.

History

View of the City of Prague MET 64FF PRAGAr1

The first cross was standing on the Charles bridge since the 14th century, documented by chronicles of the Roman emperor Charles IV and in 1606 by Aegidius Sadeler's Prospect od Prague. The main statue of the Jesus on the cross was cast in bronze by Hans Hillger in Dresden after the model made by sculptor Wolf Ernst Brohn in

1628 Events January–March * January 19 – (26 Jumada al-Awwal 1037 Islamic calendar, A.H.) The reign of Shahryar Mirza, Salef-ud-din Muhammad Shahryar as the Mughal Emperor, Shahryar Mirza, comes to an end a little more than tw ...

, in an early baroque style. The statue was set on the Charles bridge only in 1657. Calvary hill was made of stone by the sculptor Johann Georg Heermann in

1707 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – John V is crowned King of Portugal and the Algarv ...

. Both side statues of Virgin Mary and Saint John were added by

Emanuel Max Emanuel Max, after 1876: Ritter von Wachstein (19 October 1810, JanovToman Prokop, ''Nový slovník československých výtvarných umělců'' (New Dictionary of Czechoslovak Artists), Vol.2, Rudolf Ryšavý, Prague (1950) – 22 FebruaryMilo ...

1861 This year saw significant progress in the Unification of Italy, the outbreak of the American Civil War, and the emancipation reform abolishing serfdom in the Russian Empire. Events January * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico Ci ...

. The sculpture features a

crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...

surrounded by the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

words קדוש קדוש קדוש יהוה צבאות (English: Holy, Holy, Holy is Jehovah of hosts) from Isaiah 6:3. In 1696, a Jewish communal leader named Elias Backoffen was forced to pay for the inscription after being accused of blasphemy. The

aleph Aleph (or alef or alif, transliterated ʾ) is the first Letter (alphabet), letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician alphabet, Phoenician ''ʾālep'' 𐤀, Hebrew alphabet, Hebrew ''ʾālef'' , Aramaic alphabet, Aramaic ''ʾālap'' � ...

in the word "Tzva’ot" is backwards, as the letter was removed by the Nazis during the occupation of Czechoslovakia, and later mistakenly placed after the war. In 2009, explanatory plaques were added in English, Czech and Hebrew after the Mayor of Prague was petitioned by a group of North American rabbis.

References

External links

* Antisemitism in Czechoslovakia Antisemitism in the Czech Republic Monuments and memorials in Prague Sculptures of the Crucifixion of Jesus Sculptures of men in the Czech Republic Statues on the Charles Bridge {{CzechRepublic-sculpture-stub