<p>125 years ago, the building of the National Museum in Prague was opened.</p>

Prague - 125 years ago, on May 18, 1891, the building of the National Museum was officially opened in the upper part of Wenceslas Square in Prague. The National Museum was founded on April 15, 1818 as the Patriotic Museum. It was established by the initiative of several prominent members of the Czech nobility, notably Kaspar of Sternberg, the highest burgrave Count František Antonín Kolovrat, and Count Prokop Hartman; its first seat was the Sternberg Palace in Hradčany.

The National Museum is the largest museum in the Czech Republic. It is the central state museum with functions in collection formation, scientific research, education, and methodology; its branches are currently scattered across more than 70 locations in Prague and other cities. The most visited object of the museum is the central neo-Renaissance building in the upper part of Wenceslas Square. The rectangular floor plan building with a central stairwell hall was built in the spirit of national revival between 1885 and 1891 at a cost of 1,935,000 guilders. The ideological center, the Pantheon, dedicated to the prominent personalities of the nation, is crowned by a striking dome, which creates a vertical landmark for Wenceslas Square. The architect and builder Josef Schulz was responsible for the overall conception of the exteriors and interiors.

The biggest drawback of the building (declared a national cultural monument in 1962) soon after its completion turned out to be its limited functionality and insufficient capacity of storage spaces. The issue of inadequate space continues to challenge the central museum institution of the Czech Republic, whose main collection function is determined by law. In the autumn of 2006, by government resolution, the former Federal Assembly building was transferred to the museum for use. In 2011, the reconstruction of the National Museum building began, costing over 1.35 billion crowns. The general renovation is expected to be completed in October 2018, marking the 200th anniversary of the museum's founding.

Organizationally, the museum consists of five specialized components: the Historical and Natural History Museum, the National Museum Library, the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African, and American Cultures, and the Museum of Czech Music. The contribution organization of the Ministry of Culture employs approximately 500 people. The general director is Milan Lukeš.