Monument of Cieszyn Prince Mesco I
Originally German craft and trade organisations erected a monument to Emperor Franz Joseph I on this spot in 1908set in parkland (now called the Mesco I Park). A relief depicting a bust of the Emperor forming the main feature of the monument was destroyed at the end of 1918 following the collapse of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. Ten years later the town authorities backed an initiative of Prelate Józef Londzin, the mayor of Cieszyn, and decided to put up a monument on the site commemorating the Polish origins of the town. The monument of Mesco I was designed by a famous Krakow sculptor, a vice-chancellor of the Krakow College of Applied Arts, Jan Raszka, who was born in Ropica in Cieszyn Silesia. The artist used some elements of the previous structure and add a larger than life bronze statue of Mesco I. The composition of the figure suggests that the Prince is looking into the distance beyond the borders of his princedom holding a great sword in his hands, and warning off possessive neighbours. The central plinth used to be decorated with a stone eagle.
The monument of Mesco I was unveiled on 21st June 1931 during the 6th Museum Convention in Poland, which took place in Cieszyn. The ceremony was broadcast on Polish Radio. During the Second World War the Germans ordered the monument to be taken down, but the erstwhile museum curator V. Karger kept the statue in the museum courtyard. In 1957 the monument was returned to its original place apart from the stone eagle which has been destroyed by the Germans. Mesco I Park is part of the “Lasek Miejski nad Puńcówką” nature reserve, where we can finish our walk in search of the traces of the Piast times in peace and quiet among trees and bushes. As we stroll in the shadow of sycamores and beeches we can let our minds wander to days of yore and reflect on the fickle fortunes of people and dynasties. And we may decide to return once more to Cieszyn to contemplate other monuments of its past.
Editing and selection of illustrations: Renata Karpińska Photographs: Renata Karpińska, Paweł Halama, Anna Fedrizzi, Joanna Rzepka, Tomasz Matysiak, Henryk Tesarczyk, Dominik Dubiel Photograph of the heller of Premislaus I: Wojciech Woźniak
Translation from Polish: Irena and David French