Bratislava Decides to Remove Marek Culen Memorial

Bratislava, 16 October (TASR) – Slovakia's capital city began dismantling the monument of Marek Culen in the upper part of Freedom Square on Thursday, the city's spokesperson Peter Bubla confirmed on the same day. "We're convinced that a person who became a symbol of oppression should not have a place of honour on Freedom Square," stated Bubla, referring both to Culen's past and the monument itself. The monument was erected in 1978 as a tribute to a prominent figure of the communist regime. "In addition to helping found the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Marek Culen also served as Commissioner for Agriculture in Slovakia, making him responsible for enforcing the harshest phases of the elimination of private farming," explained Bubla. He noted that after the Velvet Revolution, Culen's birthplace of Brodske removed both his commemorative room and statue, and the local primary school dropped his name. "Following several appeals and failed attempts by various initiatives, the City of Bratislava has now decided to take similar action. The monument is city property," added Bubla. He confirmed that, in accordance with copyright law, the heirs of sculptor Vladimir Motovsky and co-authors of the work were notified about the monument's removal. Once removed, the monument will be stored in the depository of the Bratislava City Gallery. The square will then undergo a necessary revitalisation, including the repair of access paths, the asphalt surface and nearby greenery. Marek Culen was a founding member of the communist movement and a devoted Bolshevik. After World War II and the 1948 communist coup, he rose to top party positions. As Commissioner for Agriculture under the Slovak National Council in the 1950s, he bore responsibility for the fate of tens of thousands of farmers during forced collectivisation. Culen's bronze statue was unveiled in 1978 in the park above what was then called Gottwald Square. His monuments in Brodske and Senica were removed after 1989. In the past, people initiated a petition calling for the statue's removal, and in 2021 the Old Town district formally requested it, arguing that the monument represented not a historical reminder but a dark place in national memory. The city assured the district that it would address the request but noted that it had to comply with the Act on War Graves and the official concept governing the treatment of monuments, memorials, plaques and artworks. The monument was classified as a war grave. mf/df