In Sulejovice, the first brick museum in the Czech Republic has been opened, with a collection of around 800 pieces

Sulejovice – In Sulejovice in the Litoměřice region, the first brick museum in the Czech Republic was opened today. The collection contains around 800 pieces. Included in the exhibition are brick-making carts, and visitors will see a film about the history of brick-making. The municipality plans to organize programs for children in the future.

Brick-making in the Czech Central Mountains has a rich history. The region was significant for the industry due to the quality clay with loess. A brickworks was established directly in Sulejovice 180 years ago, in 1846. The municipality belonged to the Lovosice estate of the Schwarzenberg family, who supported local industrial development, including brick production. The facility no longer exists, but unique stamped bricks with the family crest or the letter S were kept locally for years. "After we moved the post office to the ground floor, the entire unused first floor of the municipal office remained, and we also have a yard. Friends had a collection of bricks at home and lacked the space to expand it, so the idea for a museum was born, which the council members supported," said mayor Jan Masopust (independent) to ČTK.

The preparations took about a year, during which people brought bricks to the office. "They even brought them from Egypt, so we now have bricks not only from the vicinity but also from all neighboring and more distant countries," the mayor stated. According to museum director Jakub Koch, the oldest brick dates back to 1765. "All the bricks are interesting. It's not just about old pieces with interesting stamps, which are brickmakers' markings, but there are also bricks with unique value. In brick-making, people who were less talented and less skilled used to work, creating errors in the process," the mayor added.

In the rows of bricks, which are also outside in the yard of the office, attentive tourists will find bricks with reversed letters and various flaws. Among collectors, pieces with animal tracks or fingerprints are highly valued. Each brick has labels with the place of origin. There are also demonstrations of historical molds and objects, documents related to the purchase and origin of the bricks, other brick products, and modern bricks for the construction industry.

The museum is open during the office's operating hours or by appointment. People can also bring a brick for the collection.