Curator: Petr Agha
Architects: John Eisler, Miroslav Masák, Martin Rajniš
Investor: Máj Národní a.s.
Location: Národní 63/26, Praha 1, Nové Město, Česká republika, 50°4′55,92″ s. š., 14°25′10,92″ v. d.
The commemorative plaque honoring Hans Kelsen, the iconic legal theorist born in Prague, was initiated by the Institute of State and Law of the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2014. The plaque is located at the base of the Máj commercial complex in Prague, at the intersection of Národní and Spálená streets, where Hans Kelsen’s birthplace once stood. The sculpture is based on Kelsen’s concepts of “SEIN” and “SOLLEN,” fundamental to 20th-century legal philosophy. The installation is made of raw steel and polished titanium, symbolizing the interdependence, opposition, and connection of these legal terms. On the left side of the sculpture are Kelsen’s key biographical data and legal works, and at the top is a vial of Pacific Ocean water collected near Berkeley, where Kelsen’s ashes were scattered in 1973, per his request.
Read more about the project here…