Virgine Mary Statue

Virgine Mary Statue

Lidická Street, 49.7862944N, 18.1308739E

Sandstone sculpture of the Virgin Mary from 1823 used to stand on a high prismatic pedestal on the east side, near the wall of the St. Catherine's the Church in Klimkovice. Mother of God is depicted in a slightly larger than life size as Immaculata (which in Latin means the Immaculate, without heritable sin). According to the Catholic doctrine it is considered as mother "full of grace", or "graceful". The figure of the Virgin Mary stands on the earth's globe, the left foot is stepping on the snake's head (as a symbol of heritable sin). Hands are crossed on her chest with the left forearm leaning on metal gilded lilies (as a symbol of pure and blessed purity of its spirit).

This statue was donated to Klimkovice out of great respect for his hometown by Klimkovice's native and local wholesaler in Vienna - Mr. F. Juřina. (his name and date of creation are engraved in stone on the back of the statue). It is likely that by donating the statue to our residents, he wanted to not only express his personal gratitude to his birthplace, but also, as faithful Catholic, he perhaps wanted to help all the other supporters of the Catholic faith in Klimkovice in the period of start of new recatholisation of town’s life. Initially, up to 1939, this statue used to stand just outside the entrance to the Town Hall (much like a rococo statue of Saint Sebastian) called "buduněk", in the heart of the town.

In 2010, the statue was cleansed and restored in the sculpture studio of academic sculptor J. Gajda in Ostrava - Třebonice. Then it was placed on the west side outside the entrance to the St. Catherine's Church in Klimkovice.

Jiří Pillich, the chronicler of the town

Klimkovice, 2010