ICOM Prague 2022 | A dilemma in museology

A dilemma in museology: Historical site needs vs. museum needs at Pardubice Castle

Architecture Art History sights

An extremely large number of castles, historical mansions and manor houses can be found in the Czech Republic, and nowadays, many of them are used as seats of cultural institutions. One such example is the beautiful Early Renaissance Pardubice Castle, which has national cultural monument status and is home to the East Bohemia Museum in Pardubice and the East Bohemian Gallery.

What challenges must museums face in such situations? How easy or difficult is it to find compromises between museums’ needs and the needs of protected historical buildings? Find out more about this dilemma during our excursion to the charming East Bohemian town of Pardubice.

The excursion will start with a somber visit to the Zámeček Memorial Site, home to a new exposition connected to a dark chapter of Czech history. Chosen by the Nazis as an execution ground during WWII, almost 200 Czechs sadly lost their lives at the site.

After the memorial, we will continue to the East Bohemia Museum to see not only the magnificent Pardubice Castle itself, but also unique exhibitions focused on numismatics and glass collections. Together with scholars from the East Bohemia Museum and the East Bohemian Gallery, you can enjoy a short guided walk within the historic core of the town, built mainly by the Pernstein family (who is also known for their marital connection with the Spanish noble family Manrique de Lara y Mendoza). The walking tour will finish in a newly rebuilt East Bohemian Gallery seat, Winternitz Automatic Mills by architect Josef Gočár, which calls to mind the booming industrial history of Pardubice in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Recommended for members of: ICOMON, ICMAH, DEMHIST, GLASS, ICAMT, ICOM-CC, ICMEMO