Pietà from Jihlava as a site of memory

Abstract

The Pietà from Jihlava/Iglau is larger than most lifesize wooden sculptures dating from the 1330s. The contribution deals with the history of the artwork which extends over nearly seven hundred years. During this time, the Pietà served primarily as an object of religious devotion but also played an important role as a focus of communal identity for the inhabitants of Jihlava. If perceived as a specific site of memory, the sculpture relates to the changing loyalties in the town: between the Franciscans and the Dominicans, the Catholics and the Reformation, and in modern times between the German and Czech speakers.