Location in relation to the surroundings

The cairn of MRŠ on the hill of Bradlo (543m) between the town of Brezová and the Košariská village.

Text of the inscription

Czechoslovak minister and general Dr Milan Rastislav Štefánik

July 21^st 1880 – May 4^th 1919 died at airplane crash near Bratislava together with Royal italian sergeant U.Merlino and sol. G.Aggiunti dedicated to a great son of Czechoslovak nation by the liberated nation

General description

The cairn is 96m long and 70m wide building. The lower terrace of 93x62m has two staircases with two balefire chambers. The upper terrace of 45x32m has two staircases and four 12.5m obelisks which  symbolize 4 victims of the plane crash and four countries where Štefánik was active. The main tomb is on the top of the cairn with inscriptions on each side.

Condition

Good

The circumstances of unveiling

Štefánik died at plane on May 4th 1919. 30000 people attended his funeral a week later on Bradlo. The founding stone of memorial was laid by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eduard Beneš, on 24^th May 1924. The cairn was constructed between 1927 – 1928 on the Bradlo hill above the town of Brezová. This monument was designed by architect Dušan Jurkovič and in its composition, material, space is an exquisite example of the European monumental architecture at that time. The construction lasted 280 workdays. The travertine stone used for wall facing comes from Eastern Slovakia, Spiš region. In total, 194 stock cars transported the blocks to the location. The monument was unveiled on 23^rd September 1928.

Later history

The cairn is a place of regular pious commemorations at anniversary of tragic death of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik, celebrations of the declaration of Czechoslovak Republic, a place of memory where thousands of people would pay homage to the extraordinary personality of Czechoslovak, Slovak and European history. In 1968 the cairn was declared a national cultural heritage. Its reconstruction started in 1988, lasted almost 7 years and was finished in 1996. In 2009 it was enlisted in European Culture Heritage due to Štefánik’s contribution to European history and high artistic value.

Contemporary importance

The Bradlo cairn is a symbol of the independence and freedom of Slovak nation and a memorial of crucial historic event when the Slovaks became free nation. The Bradlo memorial definitely serves as a place of memory of the Slovak nation. Every year in May national commemoration festivities take place here. In 2019 marks 100th anniversary of Štefánik‘s tragic death. Mohyla is a popular place for short trips and excursions in every season. It is easily accessible by 4km route. Near the monument there is a cottage Bradlo offering refreshment and suvenirs. Guided tours can be booked at Brezová pod Bradlom.

Publications, sources, links

www.bradlo.sk

www.facebook.com/bradlo.sk