On Saturday, 28 October 2017, the Czech Statehood day, the Czech President Miloš Zeman awarded the posthumous high state recognition, the Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Order, to the architect Jože Plečnik.

The Slovenian architect with his rich diverse architectural and design opus represents a unique cultural legacy, not only on the Slovenian level but also on the European and global scale. He lived in three Central-European capitals on which he left his artistic mark and timelessly connected them with his architecture: Vienna, Prague and Ljubljana. The current Czech President Miloš Zeman also acknowledged the immense importance of Plečnik’s design in the Czech capital and awarded Plečnik with the posthumous recognition Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Order.
Janez Jocif who accepted the recognition on behalf of Jože Plečnik’s descendants said on the occasion: »My personal relationship with the architect Jože Plečnik is purely coincidental. Unfortunately, or sometimes luckily, we can’t choose our family. My memory of him goes back into my earliest childhood as my parents often visited Karl Matkovič, my mother’s uncle and the architect’s nephew, who was staying in Plečnik’s home in Trnovo. While the grownups were talking I was going through mostly small leftover items, back than infinitely interesting to me, lying on the table and in the drawers in Plečnik’s bedroom and study. From a somewhat later period I also remember the difference between the value of his work in my family and the wider Slovenian society. The latter was certainly often burdened by complexes of daily politics reacting to the results of Plečnik’s creativity primarily with ignorance.
The fact is that his value was discovered − ¬or more precisely confirmed – no sooner than abroad. I can’t lose the feeling that without its help Plečnik might still be covered in dust in the shadows of the proverbial Slovenian littleness. Thus the posthumous recognition of the Czech President Miloš Zeman who spends his working hours every day in a residence designed by none other than Plečnik is for me an important spiritual recognition and an encouragement even in these times. Plečnik shouldn’t be just remembered, his creative and spiritual energy should serve as enrichment even nowadays. Again and again.
We can be grateful that lately this mission has been successfully conducted with great expertise and equally with plenty of needed piety towards the architect’s legacy by the Plečnik House within the framework of the Ljubljana Museum and Galleries. At the same time it is developing into a space of lively and creative juncture between Plečnik and his admirers. Therefore I am very glad to give the recognition I am excepting on behalf of his descendants to the Plečnik House as I find it by far the most suitable place for its safekeeping.«
The decision of Plečnik’s heir Janez Jocif to give the award on behalf of the descendants to Plečnik House for safekeeping was also happily welcomed by the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana, the institute managing the architect’s house. The Director Blaž Peršin underscored: »Plečnik’s architecture is certainly synonymous with the uniqueness of our capital and other Slovenian cities the master enriched with his work. This is something Ljubljana and Slovenia can boast with and use on different occasions to establish and deepen political, social, cultural and economic ties. These ties are especially strong between Ljubljana and Prague, between cities Plečnik created in parallel. We are glad the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman recognised this tie and awarded Plečnik with the high posthumous recognition, and at the same time with the announced transfer of the award to the Plečnik House for safekeeping we are honoured and thank the relatives of architect Plečnik for their trust. It is also our commitment to try to the best of our abilities to continue representing the uniqueness and the significance of Plečnik’s work to the domestic and international public.«
The Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Order or the TGM Order, named after the first president of the independent Czechoslovakia is a high recognition of the Czech Republic awarded by the President of the Republic on the Czech Republic Statehood Day.
The TGM Order is a recognition awarded by the President of the Republic to those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of democracy, humanity and human rights. Among the recipients of the order were President Václav Havel, writer Karel Čapek, poet František Halas, painter Emil Filla, and some foreign recipients were Henry A. Kissinger, Ryszard Siwiec, Lord Braine of Wheatley and others.