Lookout tower Masaryk Independence Tower
Above the town of Hořice v Podkrkonoší in the Jičín district, the Masaryk Tower of Independence rises to the sky. It is an unmissable landmark, visible from afar. It's not so much because it would be as high as it is, but it stands on a hill at an altitude of 408 m. The journey doesn't take long, the faster ones will conquer it in a quarter of an hour.
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Interesting facts Lookout tower Masaryk Independence Tower
The foundation stone for the tower, whose architect was František Blažek, was laid in 1926 in the presence of the president himself. It was to be a reminder of the founding of our state and, with its majesty, to emphasize the nascent democracy, which was very well on its way to great tomorrows. Therefore, it was initially thought to be forty meters high. However, in 1938, further steps related to construction work were suspended. The impending war shifted people's attention in a completely different direction. The monument was even met by a disgraceful event in the form of covering up patriotic reliefs created by Jan Vávra and Karel Lenhart, not only during the occupation, but also during communist rule. As if with this measure the nation could perhaps forget its past!
Part of this lookout tower, connected to the museum of victims of totalitarianism inside the tower, is a sculpture of the Legion Beyond the Borders by František Duchač - Jumped out of the 1990s. It stands nearby and completes the atmosphere of a place reminiscent of the dark side of our history. Stop here and remember those who sought to regain lost freedom in times of struggle with the occupiers of our territory and our sensitive souls in the age of so-called socialism.
Author: Marcela Horká, Vlastimil Hloupý