Thrift - exhibition

For decades now, I have been walking along the corridors in Prague towards the Pod Jezerkou tram stop, passing the library building – formerly a bank. Every time I go there, my gaze wanders up to the statue on the roof. And even though I know her intimately, she still catches my eye. That elegant, noble woman has always fascinated me.

It was only a year ago that I discovered that it was a statue called Thrift, the work of sculptor Bohumil Stehlík, a student of the famous Josef Václav Myslbek. It was placed in 1931 on the ledge of the then Občanská záložna in Michle, which was built in the late 1920s. The allegorical figure of a young woman holding a piggy bank is complemented by a gearwheel and ears of grain – symbols of industry and agriculture. Together, they embody the ideals and values of the time: honest work and prudent management as the basis of prosperity, happiness and a contented life.

However, the desire to obtain values without work has accompanied humanity since time immemorial. Alchemy was born in ancient Egypt - an attempt to turn worthless metal into gold and find the elixir of eternal life. It was always the same: to obtain valuables without effort.

Later, similar ideas were reincarnated in the world of finance - in the form of paper money that was not backed by gold. The first attempts appeared in the 17th century, but then they failed. Until 1971, the gold standard was in effect - the currency was tied to a specific amount of gold. This ended when US President Nixon abolished the convertibility of the dollar for gold. Since then, the value of currencies has been based solely on trust - in the central bank and the economic power of the state. Another step towards modern alchemy.

Technological development has only strengthened this trend. In 2009, the first digital currency was created - cryptocurrency. Again, there was a desire to create value from nothing. No costs, no work, no guarantees. We see similar tendencies in the financial markets, where derivatives are traded – often without a real basis, purely speculatively. Here too, traces of the old alchemist desire are visible.

It is all the more important today to remember the values that do not shine so easily, but have real weight: thrift, honesty and work. In crafts, in industry, in agriculture. They are the foundations on which stability and true happiness are built. After almost a hundred years, the statue of Bohumil Stehlík has lost none of its relevance – on the contrary. Today, its message speaks to us perhaps even more urgently than then.