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National Technical Museum

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The National Technical Museum, or NTM, is a major institution in Prague. It is the largest center for preserving technology in the Czech Republic. This museum protects history through artifacts and information. It helps us understand how machines and tools have changed over time. The NTM is important because it keeps our scientific heritage safe.

Ntm pmn 2014 08
Ntm pmn 2014 08

The museum operates through several different methods of preservation. It maintains large exhibits for roughly 15% of its total collection. These exhibits allow the public to see history in person. The rest of the collection is kept in specialized storage. The museum manages massive archives for research. These archives include 3,500 linear shelf meters of archival material. It also holds a library with about 250,000 books.

Ntm pmn 2014 08
Ntm pmn 2014 08

Visitors can explore many distinct types of galleries. In 1995, the museum opened three specific areas. The Industrial Design gallery shows how things like motorcycles are made. It also features early light fittings and manufacturing processes. The Single Building Gallery hosts quarterly exhibitions. These shows feature models and designs of important buildings. The Fine Arts gallery displays paintings and sculptures. These works date from the 17th to the 20th century. They focus on subjects like industry and science.

Ntm pmn 2014 08
Ntm pmn 2014 08

The museum has a long and complex history. Its collections began with a professional engineering school from 1717. Later, the Prague Polytechnical Institute was founded in 1806. In 1874, Vojtěch Náprstek founded the Czech industrial museum. The modern museum was officially founded in 1908. It opened to the public in 1910 at the Schwarzenberg Palace. In 1918, it became the Czechoslovak Technical Museum. The museum moved to its current location near Letná Park in 1941.

Ntm pmn 2014 08
Ntm pmn 2014 08

The current building is a significant piece of architecture. Milan Babuška designed the structure. He won an architectural competition to create it. The building uses a style called Functionalism. The collection moved out during the Nazi occupation. It was gradually returned to the building over time. The museum fully occupied the main building in the 1990s. The museum also underwent extensive renovations from 2006 to 2011.

Ntm pmn 2014 08
Ntm pmn 2014 08

There are several notable and precious items in the collection. The Mercedes-Benz W154 from 1939 is the most valuable exhibit. This car belonged to Rudolf Caracciola. The Tatra 80 from 1935 is a very important Czech car. It was used by President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Aviation history is also well represented. Jan Kašpar donated the aircraft from his first flight in 1911.

NTM letoun Delfin
NTM letoun Delfin

The museum also has a Railway Museum. This section contains about 100 different railway vehicles.

NTM letoun Delfin
NTM letoun Delfin

Preserving such a large collection can be difficult. In 2002, the European floods caused serious problems. The floods damaged about 200 cubic metres of documents. This damage happened in a location separate from the main building. Experts worked very hard to fix the loss. They spent many years drying and restoring the materials. This work continued until 2013. This shows how much effort goes into protecting our shared history.

Ntm pmn 2014 08
Ntm pmn 2014 08
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File:NTM letoun Delfin.jpg
NTM letoun Delfin.jpg
File:Ntm pmn 2014 08.jpg
Ntm pmn 2014 08.jpg
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