Seventy years ago, concert activity was renewed at the Rudolfinum

Prague - The Neo-Renaissance building of Prague's Rudolfinum was ceremoniously opened in 1885 and has served music and exhibition activities from the very beginning. After the proclamation of the Czechoslovak Republic, the National Assembly took up residence in the building, which operated here until April 1946, with the exception of the German occupation. The concert activities at Rudolfinum were ceremoniously resumed 70 years ago, on May 11, 1946, with the inaugural concert of the first year of the Prague Spring festival, conducted by Rafael Kubelík. Since then, the building has again served its original purpose - it is a concert center and the home of a renowned gallery and the Czech Philharmonic.

The cultural life in Prague has long lacked a venue where Czech art could be presented. Therefore, the management of Česká spořitelna decided to provide such a building for Prague. The land for construction was selected in the northern part of today’s Palach Square. In the architectural competition for the House of Artists, the plan by Josef Zítko and Josef Schulze won. The professors from the Prague Polytechnic gave the building the same Neo-Renaissance character as the National Theatre had before.

The Rudolfinum was divided into two parts: the southern wing with Dvořák Hall and the northern part with several halls centered around the main monumental courtyard with a glass roof. The cornerstone of the Rudolfinum was laid in June 1876. The building, named after its patron, Crown Prince Rudolf, was completed five years later. The work on its artistic decoration continued until the end of 1884. The inaugural concert took place in February 1885. In the same year, exhibition activities began in the adjacent building. The gallery primarily showcased contemporary art at that time.

The Czech Philharmonic began its activities in the Rudolfinum in 1896 with a concert conducted by Antonín Dvořák. His statue has adorned the space in front of the Rudolfinum since 2000. During communism, the House of Artists was home to three institutions - the Czech Philharmonic, the Academy of Performing Arts, and the Conservatory.