In his design of the Memorial to the Liberation of the District in Spišská Nová Ves, architect Ladislav Beisetzer demonstrated how monumentality could be achieved even on a modest scale. As he himself stated, his approach focused on aesthetic clarity, material durability, and formal self-evidence.
The memorial was erected to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising. It is situated in the centre of a lenticular-shaped square, on the axis between the Neoclassical town hall and the Art Nouveau Reduta. In creating the memorial, architect Beisetzer collaborated with sculptor Ladislav Snopek, with whom he had previously designed the Memorial to the French Partisans near Strečno.
However, the two conceived the memorial work in Spišská Nová Ves differently, favouring a more massive horizontality over verticality. They designed the memorial as a elevated monolithic concrete slab, above which is positioned a hollow ring bearing a sculptural figurative relief. The relief depicts the course of the armed uprising, from the people taking up arms to the eventual victory. The subterranean section, accessible by a staircase from the direction of the town hall and by a ramp from the direction of the Reduta, contains a memorial hall illuminated from above. Inside the ring are inscriptions expressing gratitude to the liberators, as well as a poem. The circular motif is repeated in the metal gates and in the articulation of the ceiling. The monument’s expressiveness is further enhanced by the exposed texture of the formwork preserved in the cast concrete. The memorial was ceremonially unveiled on 9 May 1975.
author of the description: Monika Bočková
Bibliography:
JIROUŠEK, Alexander et al.: Východoslovenský kraj. Košice: Východoslovenské vydavateľstvo, 1980
SAUČIN, Ladislav: Pre budúce pokolenia (Obraz SNP vo výtvarnom umení). Výtvarný život, 1982. roč. 27, č. 8, s. 2-7.
ONDRUŠKA, Jaroslav: Ladislav Snopek. Výtvarný život, 1986. roč. 31, č. 4, s. 19-22.
BEISETZER, Ladislav - KUZMA, Dušan - CHROBÁK, Jozef - GÁL, Peter: Čo si myslíte o tvorbe a pôsobení memoriálnych diel? Projekt, 1984. roč. 26, č. 7, s. 34-39.
CHALUPECKÝ, Ivan a VLADÁR, Jozef. Okres Spišská Nová Ves - klenotnica pamiatok. Východoslovenské vydavateľstvo, 1980, s. 15.
