Reading Time: 4 Minutes 47 Seconds
General info
In the Vysočina region lies the small town of Lipnice nad Sázavou, whose forest incorporates three sculptures carved from former granite quarries: the Bretschneider’s ear, the Mouth of Truth and the Golden Eyes,
The three reliefs form part of the Národní památník odposlechu (literally, the “National Eavesdropping Monument”).
They commemorate the espionage and surveillance activities conducted under the regimes that have alternated in the Czech Republic, the Nazis first and the Commies later.
The patron of the entire project is Richard Hašek, who was born in Lipnice and was the grandson of writer Jaroslav Hašek.
Hašek is best known for the novel “The Good Soldier Švejk”, which he wrote in 1921-1923 in the U České koruny pub, located in the centre of Lipnice nad Sázavou.
Bretschneider’s ear
The “Bretschneider’s ear” (Bretschneiderovo ucho) was the first sculpture of the series, completed in June 2005.
Crafted by a group of stone sculpture students under the guidance of sculptor Radomír Dvořák, it symbolizes espionage.
Named after the secret policeman from the Švejk novel, the relief features a 3 metres high ear and is situated in the former quarry n. 1 (Jednička).
This immense ear emerges dramatically from the rock face of the quarry.
One can sit quietly at the edge of the quarry in the forest and listen, or go all the way to touch it.
Motto:
NIKOLI MAKE, NÝBRŽ REMAKE.
NIKOLI NAME, NÝBRŽ RENAME.
Which means “Never make, but remake. Never name, but rename” (folk proverb of Vysočina, that in this case blends Czech and English).
The Mouth of Truth
A mouth should exist, for a ear to be able to hear and listen. And for it to be effective, it has to be a truthful mouth.
The “Mouth of Truth” (Ústa pravdy) is just under 3 meters tall and about 2 meters wide, and was unveiled in September 2006.
The relief is again the work of sculptor Radomír Dvořák along with some students and stonemasons.
Situated in the former quarry n.2 (Dvojka), the sculpture portrays a half-open female mouth, carved into the granite wall along with surrounding features such as the chin, the corners of the mouth, and a hint of a nose.
The title and theme of this work drew inspiration from the “Bocca della Verità” located in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome.
According to legend, suspected thieves were required to insert their arms up to the elbow inside the mouth. If found guilty, the executioner hidden on the other side who would cut off their hands.
In other Italian cities, the Mouth of Truth was used to deposit anonymous reports.
A rivulet flows out of the half-open mouth, and depending on the season, it can be a small waterfall, or can completely dry up.
Hopefully, it is not a poisonous saliva, but just water.
Motto:
IN VINO VERITAS VINCIT.
The Golden Eyes
To complete the cycle dedicated to the communication and monitoring of human activity and privacy, a camera system is also in operation in the forest.
The relief “Golden Eyes” (Zlatý voči) was inaugurated in September 2007 at the former and now flooded quarry “Střelnice”, which is situated about 1.5 km west of Lipnice nad Sázavou.
The triangular structure, featuring the eyes, stands approximately 2.5 metres tall, with the eyeballs inscribed with the faded golden words “Enter” and “Exit.”
In addition, the right eye (left from the viewer’s perspective) consists of an 80 kg rotating granite ball.
The sculpture is influenced by the traditional symbol of the eye of God within a triangle, adding a spiritual dimension.
Thus, it embodies the concept of omniscience that many desire (sometimes in an Orwellian context), yet can never truly achieve.
The sculptor Radomír Dvořák created this piece on his own, without the help of the students from the Stone Sculpture Academy, mainly due to the challenging terrain – a vertical wall above the water that made the work risky.
Motto:
OKULÁRNÍ VIZITACE JE RODNOU SESTROU SPEKTAKULÁRNÍ AKCE.
The ocular visitation is the sister of a spectacular event (folk proverb of Vysočina, freely adapted).
In Czech, the word “Vizitace” is not a visit, but precisely the control over the ways of preaching and the loyalty to the faith rules.
The term is not linked to the Czechoslovak STB of the 20th century, but to the Vatican monitoring, also known as the Holy Inquisition.
How to get there:
It is easy to visit all the places during one walk, as they are pretty close to each other.
The best way to reach Lipnice is by car, as there is no train station nearby.
You can park for free in an area at the end of the town and then do a 6 km loop hike to see the three spots.
You can extend the trail by wandering in the forest to reach Radostovice and back.
Or go the other way to see two other granite sculptures from Radomír Dvořák: Hlava XXII, dedicated to Jaroslav Hašek, and the Nomen Omen.
If you travel by bike or by foot, then take a train to Světlá nad Sázavou (there are trains from Prague and Brno every hour) and then cycle or get on a bus to Lipnice and the quarries.
We included this place in a 2-day bicycle trip, which started from and ended in Jihlava, with a night in Havlíčkův Brod.
For the most actual schedule, don’t forget to check pubtrans.cz.
