The new museum at the castle in Žďár n.S. will open in the summer of 2015

source: dedictvivysociny.cz

Žďár nad Sázavou - In the previously unused part of the Žďár castle, the Kinský family is building a new generation museum. It should offer visitors a view into the history of the castle and its surroundings through experiential exhibitions in a non-traditional way. The museum is expected to open to the public in July 2015 during the international contemporary dance festival KoresponDance. This was reported today by Constantin Kinský.
    The project costs are expected to reach approximately 150 million crowns, with about half covered by European grants. "The project is based on a number of inspirational influences, but as a whole, we hope it will be unique," said Kinský.
    Construction work in the agricultural part of the former monastery began this August after three years of preparation by a team of architects from the Czech Republic and France. According to Kinský, the exhibitions that will utilize modern exhibition technologies, including video and audio projections combined with musical accompaniment, should bring visitors closer to life in the medieval Cistercian monastery, its changes during the Baroque period, and in the present day.
    "Visitors will pass through a darkly toned intimate exhibition about the foundation of the Cistercian monastery to an illuminated modern spiral staircase symbolically connecting the medieval and the present day with a Baroque exhibition on the upper floor," said Kinský. The new generation museum should serve as a metaphorical crossroads not only for tourism but also for other cultural and social activities according to him.
    The exhibition in two wings of the former brewery, covering an area of around 2000 square meters, is being created in partnership with the National Museum and the National Gallery. Both institutions will provide the museum with original historical exhibits. "The exhibition should be interesting for all age groups. We want to have a special program for schools, for those interested in history or art lovers," Kinský added. In connection with the neighboring pilgrimage church on Zelená hora, the museum should allow visitors to understand the history of the castle and its surroundings according to him.
    The monastery and the castle in Žďár nad Sázavou were founded in the 13th century. The Kinský family has already restored a large part of the complex. The complex is a national cultural monument. One part of it - the pilgrimage church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená hora - is a monument listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.