Wilson statue step closer to completion

After nearly three years of work and plenty of controversy, the Woodrow Wilson statue meant to replace one taken down by the Nazis in 1941 is entering its final leg of construction.

The plaster-of-Paris mold for the 3.5-meter tall figure is complete, and all that remains is the seven-month process of creating the 1,200 kilogram (1.2 metric ton) final bronze cast, according to Ondřej Špaček, whose iron foundry will complete the work.

The project, which was commissioned by the American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFoCR), has been surrounded by an odd number of disagreements and tiffs from the very beginning - a contest to choose the sculptors for the project was alleged by some contestants to have been rigged.

Then, about a year ago, there was a physical confrontation between the lead sculptor for the project, Michal Blažek and another sculptor, Oldřich Hejtmánek, that left both with minor injuries. The fight allegedly broke out because Hejtmánek had borrowed a Wilson bust from the National Museum to copy and did not comply with loan conditions, after which the museum made its loan policy more difficult for Blažek's team.

The statue will likely be unveiled by October 2011 in front of Hlavní nádraží, Prague's main train station, according to Magdaléna Vošalíková, a spokeswoman for the project.

Vošalíková would not reveal the cost of the statue, but last year the founder of AFoCR told The Prague Post the cost would be around 17 million Kč ($975,000). The project is mostly funded by donors, except for the pedestal, which will be paid for by the City of Prague and will be made of Bohemian marble inscribed with Wilson's words: "The world must be made safe for democracy."

As a replica, the statue should remain as true as possible to the pre-war original. However, the only part of the plaster mold left intact from the original statue is of its head, which is therefore being used in tandem with architectural software that analyzes old photographs to ensure accurate proportions in the replica, said Daniel Špička, one of the architects who worked on the project.

"It's not the usual way. I don't know of any other statue made as a creative replica," Špička said. "This is a faithful replica, but it is still a creative job."

Following the creation of a blueprint, several molds were made, leading up to this latest plaster one, which will now be cut into pieces. From those pieces, more molds of resin, then rubber and finally wax will be made and then filled with bronze. The bronze pieces will be welded together, and a patina, or artificial aging agent, will be added. The technique used to physically make the statue is an old one, the construction team said, much like that used for the original.

When the statue is installed in the park outside Hlavní nádraží, the site will also feature a "walk of freedom" that will list the names of donors to the project.

The original Woodrow Wilson statue was built in 1928 by Albín Polášek as a tribute to the U.S. president, who played a critical role in creating an independent Czechoslovakia after World War I. The Nazis tore it down in 1941 after the United States declared war on Germany.

The station where the replica will stand was named "Wilson Train Station" in 1919, but was renamed Hlavní nádraží ("Main Station") during Nazi rule. It officially reverted back to Wilson's name in 1990, though it is still colloquially referred to as Hlavní nádraží. The station sits on Wilsonova street.

"After such a long time, it's a good feeling to see it close to being finished," Špička said. "It stands beautifully."

Cat Contiguglia can be reached at
ccontiguglia@praguepost.com