Hans Kudlich – Úvalno

Fact of the Czech figure „The Birth of a Political Nation”

Part of the „Revolutions of 1848″ topic

In March 1848, Hans Kudlich (1823-1917), a physician and German liberal from Austrian Silesia, participated in revolutionary upheavals in Vienna and was later nominated as a candidate for elections to the Austrian Reichstag. At the end of June 1848, he proposed the abolition of serfdom, sparking widespread debate. His proposal was adopted in a slightly amended form, and Kudlich entered history as the „liberator of the peasants.”

After the dissolution of the Kroměříž Parliament, Kudlich was forced to flee to Switzerland and later emigrated to the United States. After his death in 1917, Kudlich’s urn was transferred to the native village Úvalno and placed in a tower on top of a hill above the village, which was meant to serve as a mausoleum. Kudlich’s work was highly esteemed among the German-speaking population in Czech lands, which is perceptible on the numerous monuments dedicated to him.

After the Second World War and the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, Kudlich’s legacy fell into oblivion. Only a fraction of the original number of monuments has survived to this day. The tower above the village of Úvalno faced a similar fate, as its condition had deteriorated so badly that its demolition was considered. However, in the late 1990s, Kudlich’s legacy was partially rehabilitated, and the tower was reconstructed and reopened to the public.