Zlínská Alternativa will present the development of the former Baťa complex

Zlín - The Zlín Alternative will present unique photographs of the Baťa and later Svitava complexes, which today form the largest part of the urban heritage zone in Zlín and are searching for further use. Only at the opening on November 2 will the restored original founding contract of the Baťa company be publicly presented for the first and possibly the last time, said Jitka Černínová, head of the Alternative, today to ČTK.
    Dozens of photographs capture, for example, the construction of the highest building in the country at the time - the Baťa skyscraper, the bombed factory complex during World War II, parks, gardens, and flower beds among factory buildings. "The more contemporary photographs come from Michal Girgel and were taken over the last 15 years," noted Černínová.
    There will also be three-dimensional models of Buildings 14 and 15. The historical ones will be lent by the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín. The modern appearance of both buildings will be illustrated by models from the Zlín Region. Both buildings are currently in the hands of builders. In the coming months, they will be modernized and transformed into a Regional Cultural and Educational Center. The regional gallery, the Museum of Southeast Moravia in Zlín, and the regional library will find their new home there.
    On Wednesday, November 2 at 5:00 PM, the original founding document of the Baťa company will be on display. "We could not ensure permanent security for this document. Security forces will provide transport. In the following days of the exhibition, only a copy of the document will be available for viewing," stated the head of the Alternative.
    The exhibition has four parts. The first one - Growth and Changes, covers the fundamental developmental changes of the complex from the mid-1940s, the second Destruction and Renewal approaches the bombed factory complex during World War II. The third part, titled People and Movement, presents the citizens who worked in the complex. The last part is The Factory in the Gardens.
    The exhibition was created in cooperation with the State District Archive of Zlín, the Moravian Land Archive in Brno, and Michal Girgel. It will last until November 30. It will be open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.