The memorial of Emperor Josef II

The memorial statue of Emperor Josef II, the most important representative of absolutism, was erected in the park, in front of the high school, in 1906. The idea for the statue originated from the idea of the local notary František Josef Auera supported by the financial resources of the town of Hostinné and donations from the local people.

The memorial was carved by an academic carver Jiří Leiska from Vienna. Carrara marble was used as the material for the statue.
The memorial commemorates merits and the visits of Emperor Josef II in Hostinné. The first visit on July 7, 1766 was connected to an army inspection trip across western Bohemia, Silesia and Luzice to the north and northeast of Bohemia. The second visit on October 13, 1771 was made to the foothills of Krkonose Mts. during the famine of that time. The third visit of Emperor Josef II to our region was during the war between Austria and Prussia in 1778. This visit was concerning Bavarian inheritance. Emperor Josef II stayed in Hostinné from August 8 to September 9, 1178.

The memorial stood in this place until 1921 when it was removed. It was a symbol representing the Hapsburg Empire which had since ceased to exist. The statue was tansferred to Fořt and later returned to Hostinné in 1999.