Featured Events in Prague in September, 2023 (May Updated)

A smaller exhibition in the showcases located in the Eastern hall of the Historical Building presents the expeditions of the National Museum, which are primarily united by a desire for knowledge that overcomes borders. It presents a selection of the most important historical expeditions which demonstrate the institution's long research tradition, up to contemporary expeditions. One of the oldest research trips is reminiscent of A. Frič's expeditions to Banat (1853) and Dalmatia (1856) accompanied by acquired zoological specimens. The challenging nature of the expeditions is exemplified by the entomological expedition to Iran by Praga V3S museum vehicle in the 1970s or, at the time, the pioneering expeditions to the Mapuche area in South America. Current expeditions of the National Museum will take you to diverse corners of the world on almost all continents and unearth the latest scientific and archaeological discoveries made by the researchers. They will explain the importance of cooperation between scientific and museum departments and multidisciplinary approach, which lead to the joint results of the work of a team of experts that examine the topic from different points of view.

Every important building has its foundations, not only structural, but also symbolic. The pillar of the National Museum are its collections. They are the most important thing inside the building, which in itself is one of the most precious items. However, it is the people, not only the founders, employees, donors, but also the visitors, who make the museum come alive. Collections, buildings and people – this is the National Museum. Together they form added values. The Museum from the cellar to the attic exhibition offers its visitors to peek into the life of the institution. It is symbolically installed in period cabinets designed more than a hundred years ago by Josef Schulz, the architect of the Historical Building. Individual collections and themes across the institution compose a puzzle-like image of the museum in the cabinets. It reflects contemporary scientific practices and knowledge, cultural norms and political changes, as well as modifications in the ways of acquiring, preserving and presenting collections over a period of more than 200 years.

During his eleven years of exploration in South Africa, traveller Dr. Emil Holub collected tens of thousands of objects, made observations covering the fields of natural history and ethnography, hunted game, and studied the ethnic groups he encountered on his travels. His portrait with a typical tropical helmet is basically iconic. To this day, his immense popularity has been exploited by various artistic and advertising projects, shaping and distorting the traveller into an image that has become almost cult-like. The aim of the Emil Holub exhibition is not to convey a comprehensive view of Holub's personality, but to open up questions directed towards the present. How do we perceive Emil Holub and the activities associated with him today? How do various myths and legends influence this perception? What is the value of Holub's collections, how did he work with them and how does contemporary exhibition and collection-building work with them? Where can we see objects from these collections? How do we perceive Holub through the lens of colonial studies? The exhibition is divided into four parts. The first one is devoted to two journeys to Africa that Holub made in the 1870s and 1880s. Through several examples, it shows how Holub created a depiction of the course of these journeys, what their original goals were, how they were fulfilled, and how they were reacted to by some of the later products of mass culture. It also shows the most important discoveries made by Holub during his expeditions in South Africa and presents his natural history collection.

In May 2023, a selected part of the collection of the National Museum–Antonín Dvořák Museum was registered under the name Antonín Dvořák Archive in the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme Register which safeguards the most important documentary heritage of humanity. Following the addition of the Leoš Janáček Archive in 2018, this marks the second instance of a collection from a Czech music composer being included on this prestigious list. An archive containing Dvořák's musical manuscripts, letters, personal documents, non-musical manuscripts, his personal library, iconographic documents, first editions of Dvořák's compositions, printed documentation, diplomas and honorary memberships has been entried into the Register. A total of 3,500 units were part of the nomination. However, the collection of the Antonín Dvořák Museum contains significantly more objects. As of 2023, the museum oversees a compilation of approximately 9,000 items within its collection. The aim of the Antonín Dvořák: My life & Work exhibition is to comprehensively showcase the Dvořák collection, taking into account both the chronological progression of the composer's life and the essence of the UNESCO nomination. Over the course of a year, the exceptional exhibition will present 18 Dvořák’s original musical manuscripts.