The Museum of Eastern Bohemia () is a museum and historic landmark in

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech R ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It was designed by

Jan Kotěra Jan Kotěra (18 December 1871 – 17 April 1923) was a Czech architect, artist and interior designer, and one of the key figures of modern architecture in Bohemia. Biography Kotěra was born in Brno, the largest city in Moravia, to a Czech fath ...

, a prominent Czech architect of the early 20th century. The East Bohemian Museum was built in 1909–1912. Kotěra's initial design, presented in 1907, was criticized for its exaggerated decoration and luxurious design. Moreover, the city did not have sufficient funds for such a grandiose design. Consequently, Kotěra created a new design that was finished in 1908.

Architecture

The museum is modeled on a classic temple. "…The groundplan sin the form of a Latin cross, ith apolygonal nave, a dome above the intersection, nda monumental side entrance…" Regarding decoration, the entrance is decorated by two sculptures next to the entrance door. These female figures are said to be an allegory of History and Industry. These two are accompanied by a third figure made from

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

. This one is supposed to be a young František Ulrich, who became mayor of

at the age of 36. Although he was young, people hoped that he would lead the city to progress. Kotěra also designed the interior of the museum. Visitors can see furniture in the director's office, a library, seats made by Thonet Company and wood linings in the lecture hall, lighting and a fountain in front of the main entrance to the museum. The museum interiors are designed in the functionalist style. The building of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia was awaited with mixed feeling of the whole public. Kotěra was known as a young and progressive architect, and he confirmed this statement in his works. The asymmetrical design of the building was rejected by Kotěra's teacher,

Otto Wagner Otto Koloman Wagner (; 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian architect, furniture designer and urban planner. He was a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement of architecture, founded in 1897, and the broader Art Nouveau mo ...

, but Kotěra prevailed. In 1995 the building was declared a national cultural monument. It was extensively reconstructed in 1999–2002.Historie stavby (The History of the Building) (2011)

References

External links

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Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové at Google Cultural Institute
{{Authority control Museums in the Hradec Králové Region History museums in the Czech Republic National cultural monuments of the Czech Republic Art Nouveau architecture in the Czech Republic Art Nouveau museum buildings Buildings and structures in Hradec Králové Buildings and structures completed in 1912 1912 establishments in Austria-Hungary Museums established in 1912