Plzen begins to build a monument to the liberators from the 97th Infantry Division in the park in Skvrňany
Plzen begins to build a monument to the liberators from the 97th Infantry Division in the park in Skvrňany
The construction of the new memorial to the 97th Infantry Division, that participated in the liberation of Czechoslovakia at the turn of April and May 1945, is starting. The memorial, designed by David Foud, should be completed by the end of April, together with the surface working at the park in Křimická Street. The administration of the city’s public property, which ensures the implementation, will pay over 1.3 million crowns for the monument, including park surface adjustments. One of the families of the veterans of the 97th Infantry Division contributed 20,000 US dollars.
“There is a bond between the city and the veterans and their families that lasts for generations. It is our task not to break this bond, but rather to strengthen it. That is why I am very happy that the project to build a new monument to the liberators from the 97th Infantry Division was created. I thank everyone who participated in,” said the mayor of Pilsen, Roman Zarzycký.
“The idea to create a memorial to the soldiers of the 97th Infantry Division arose from a meeting with the families of these soldiers. The initiator was Mrs. Christina Pieper Bigelow. This division, that reached the borders of Pilsen, allowed the 16th Armored Division free passage to Pilsen, and thus greatly helped the liberation of Pilsen in the spring of 1945. However, there was not memorial in Pilsen. We contacted the architect Mr. Foud, who had already made a similar monument in Bdeněves near Kozolupy. Together with the descendants of the veterans, we then selected the resulting proposal from the three options presented,” said Pilsen Deputy Mayor Pavel Bosák, who led the negotiations with the veterans’ families.
“Together with representatives of the Department of Conception and Development of the City of Pilsen, we were looking for a dignified space to place the monument. The 97th Infantry Division reached as far as Pilsen in the direction of Křimice, that is why we chose the park in Skvrňany, which is spatially suitable for the installation of the memorial,” said Deputy Mayor of the City of Pilsen for Transport and the Environment Aleš Tolar.
“We want to finish the work in April so the dedication ceremony can be held here on May 3 as part of the Liberation Festival Pilsen, said Richard Havelka, head of the Department of Forestry, Greenery and Water Management of the Public Estate Administration of the City of Pilsen.
“The shape of the memorial is based on the journey of the 97th Infantry Division through Europe. The first point is the French port of Le Havre and the last is the city of Pilsen. The monument increases in height by 214 levels, symbolizing the 214 fallen soldiers of this division on the European battlefield. It is designed from a massive sheet of weather-resistant patinated steel with a thickness of eight millimeters. On the panel there is a cutout of the emblem of the 97th Infantry Division, i.e. the trident in the coat of arms. On each corner of the plate is the name of the city that the corner symbolizes and the date when the 97th Infantry Division entered the city. On the bottom edge is the number of victims that falls on the given date,” described the design of the memorial, its author David Foud.
The monument will be made of steel elements anchored in concrete foundation belts. The paved areas of the park will then have a mortar surface partially paved with granite paving. The monument is more than 5 meters long and up to 2.14 meters high. The project also includes two new benches and an information desk. The Public Estate Administration of the City of Pilsen will pay FoxySteel s.r.o. for the construction of the monument. 729,954.80 crowns including VAT, then 598,949 crowns including VAT were paid to the company inka s.r.o., that is the construction contractor, for the related park improvements and installation of the monument.
The 97th Infantry Division (97th Infantry Division) with the nickname “Trident division” appeared on the territory of Czechoslovakia on April 24, 1945, and then on April 25, 1945, it liberated the city of Cheb. The division continued its progress through Czechoslovakia until May 6, 1645, when it reached the outskirts of Pilsen and thus prepared the way for the 16th Armored Division, liberatin the city of Pilsen on the same day. During its advance through Czechoslovakia, the 97th Infantry Division lost at least 50 soldiers, the total losses of the division amounted to 214 soldiers for the entire duration of the war.
