The National Museum in Prague awaits a significant investment in the renovation of the Náprstek Museum

Prague - The National Museum (NM) in Prague is expecting an investment of 1.276 billion crowns for the renovation of the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African, and American Cultures and the construction of its central depository. The building of the Náprstek Museum at the U Halánků House is in a state of emergency. This year, construction of the central depository for the Náprstek Museum is expected to begin on the grounds in Horní Počernice, where collections currently stored in inadequate conditions will be relocated. Concurrently, work is ongoing on the project for the reconstruction of the historic buildings of the Náprstek Museum on Bethlehem Square. This was stated to ČTK by the General Director of the National Museum, Michal Lukeš, after today's meeting on budget priorities of the Ministry of Culture and planned investments in the cultural sector.

"The final phase of reconstruction and construction is, of course, the establishment of new exhibitions, because a museum is not just about collections and buildings; it is also about exhibitions. We plan to create exhibitions concerning the Czech footprint in the world, such as the exhibitions on Vojta Náprstek and his contemporaries, Significant Czechs in the World, the Achievements of Czech Egyptology, or Countrymen," Lukeš said.

The reconstructed building of the Náprstek Museum will also house a research center and spaces for lectures, concerts, film screenings, and theatrical performances.

The collections of the Náprstek Museum contain nearly 150,000 items of global significance and 250,000 volumes of books. The construction of a modern depository building on the grounds of the National Museum in Horní Počernice should ensure quality and secure storage of collection funds, create workspaces for curators and administrative tasks, and establish modern restoration and digitization workplaces.

The Náprstek Museum of Asian, African, and American Cultures in Prague celebrated its 150th anniversary of opening last year. The museum was founded by Vojta Náprstek, a Czech patriot, politician, patron, and enthusiastic promoter of new ideas. Today it consists of a one-story building at U Halánků and a three-story exhibition building. The National Museum took over its administration in 1932 after nationalization, and it has been under its management since 1943. The public library is also available to visitors in the U Halánků House in Prague.