National Monument at Vítkov

The National Monument at Vítkov (Czech: Národní památník na Vítkově) on top of Vítkov Hill in Prague's Žižkov district is one of the most important buildings commemorating the Czech statehood. It includes the third-largest bronze rider statue in the world, of Jan Žižka, who defeated the Catholic forces led by King Sigismund in 1420 at the Battle of Vítkov Hill. The Monument also includes the Ceremonial Hall, an exhibition entitled Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and other exhibition halls. The Monument was built from 1928 to 1938 in honor of the World War I Czechoslovak legionaries. After 1948, it was used to promote the communist regime. Between 1954 and 1962, it housed the mausoleum of Klement Gottwald. In 2000, the monument was acquired by the National Museum, which conducted a major restoration work. After over two years of reconstruction, the Memorial was opened to the public on 29 October 2009.