The Hradec Museum will commemorate the 130th anniversary of its founding

Hradec Králové - The Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové will commemorate the 130th anniversary of its establishment in 2010. In its anniversary year, it will offer visitors several new exhibitions, including an exhibition in May featuring unimplemented projects by architect Josef Gočár, stated the museum's director Zdeněk Zahradník in the museum's newsletter.
    During the year, the museum will also present part of its paleontological collections and a collection of icons to interested visitors. "In the autumn, we would like to welcome an exhibition by the Association of Medallists and a collection of Japanese ex-libris. We are also preparing an exhibition of unique archaeological finds from the southern terraces and the U Špuláků house in Hradec Králové," said Zahradník. The museum will also offer the traditional autumn mushroom exhibition next year. The first Advent weekend will be dedicated to the traditional Advent market, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
    The history of the Hradec museum dates back to 1880, when the city council approved the proposal to establish a museum. The museum's statutes were approved in August of the same year. It first exhibited its collections in 1885 in the Chapel of St. Wenceslas in a house on Žižkov Square. The museum, which quickly expanded its collections, was initially housed in several buildings throughout the city. From 1909 to 1912, a new museum building was constructed on Eliščina nábřeží, designed by architect Jan Kotěra. Since 1993, the museum has also included the memorial of the Battle of 1866 at Chlum, where construction work on the museum extension is expected to be completed next year.