Statue of St John of Nepomuk in Wrocław

The Statue of St John of Nepomuk is an 18th-century sculpture, a so-called nepomuk, standing on plac Kościelny on Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław. It is considered the largest monument to this saint in the world.

Who built it

The monument was created between 1730 and 1732, commissioned by Wrocław's cathedral chapter. The designer was Christoph Tausch, and the sculpture was made by Jan Jerzy Urbański together with Johann Albrecht Siegwitz and Johann Adam Karinger. According to a surviving chronicle, the figure was unveiled in May 1732.

Where it stands

The sculpture stands on plac Kościelny, in front of the collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and the former Catholic orphanage Orphanotropheum, on Ostrów Tumski, the oldest part of Wrocław.

Who St John of Nepomuk was

St John of Nepomuk is a figure venerated in Central Europe as the patron saint of bridges, confessors and good reputation, and statues of him were traditionally erected by rivers and bridges, often in places important to the local church authority. The monument on Ostrów Tumski is among the most impressive examples of this motif in the world, which in itself sets it apart from the hundreds of similar figures erected across Central Europe in that period.

Its place in the Ostrów Tumski landscape

Plac Kościelny, where the figure stands, is one of the oldest corners of Wrocław. Its proximity to the collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and the former orphanage makes the monument a natural stop on a walk around the whole of Ostrów Tumski, alongside the cathedral, the castle and the district's other churches. The figure itself, as an outdoor sculpture, can be viewed at any time, without any restrictions linked to buildings' opening hours.

The monument's makers

A team of craftsmen worked on the project under the direction of the designer Christoph Tausch. The sculptor, Jan Jerzy Urbański, was assisted in the work by two collaborators, Johann Albrecht Siegwitz and Johann Adam Karinger, which points to the scale of the undertaking commissioned by the cathedral chapter.

Practical information

• Address: plac Kościelny, Ostrów Tumski, Wrocław
• Getting there: on foot from the centre of Wrocław via the Tumski Bridge, as part of a walk around Ostrów Tumski
• What to expect: a stone figure in the square in front of the church, viewable all year round
• It is worth combining the visit with a tour of the nearby cathedral and castle on Ostrów Tumski
• Ostrów Tumski is the oldest part of Wrocław, so a walk around the figure is best planned as a longer route around the district, rather than a single stop