The town of Hejnice is located on the banks of the Smědé River in a basin below the northern slopes of the Jizera Mountains, has a centuries-old pilgrimage tradition and is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Bohemia. Today, the Roman Catholic Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary stands on the site of the old pilgrimage site.

On August 23, 1908, a monument to Emperor and King Francis Joseph I and Empress Elizabeth-Sisi was unveiled in front of the Baroque church. It is one of the few monuments that celebrates the imperial couple.

A syenite obelisk stood 6 meters high on a granite plinth. In the lower part of the monument, there were commemorative inscriptions on the sides and bronze reliefs of Their Majesties above them. At the top of the obelisk was the imperial crown. The monument was made by the company Granit und Syenit Werke Mr. František Laske from Rožan u Šluknov. The granite pedestal was made by stonemason Lange from Rospenava, the reliefs were by G. Albert from Rumburk.

In addition to local associations and a large number of people, the celebration was also attended by representatives of political authorities, among them regional governor Hirsch and a military delegation from the headquarters in Liberec. After the celebration of the field mass, the archbishop Josef Borsche gave a solemn speech. After that, representative Anton Worf spoke on behalf of the village of Hejnice, and the Hejnice Male Choir sang. In the afternoon, a concert was held at the Kaiserhof Hotel, and in the evening a wreath ceremony. The music was provided by the band c. and k. of infantry regiment No. 74 from Liberec.

Source: Reichenberg Zeitung 15 August 1908 and 26 August 1908

Friedländer Heimatbrief 1999/607,607/ translated by Mr. Günter Krause