ABOUT THE MUSEUM

The North Bohemian Museum in Liberec was founded in 1873 as the first museum of the applied arts in the Czech lands. From its very earliest days it managed to amass some valuable collections of applied art from Europe and Asia, for which a separate building needed to be constructed. An international tender held in Vienna in 1895 was won by the design of Austrian architect Friedrich Ohmann, and the work was carried out by German architect Hans Grisebach in 1898. In structural terms, the building is a picturesque combination of various types of sacral and palatial architecture from the mediaeval and early modern periods.

BEAUTY + UTILITY

The exhibition presents the chronological development of European arts and crafts and the lifestyle of the middle and upper classes from ancient times, through the Middle Ages to the present. The exhibition also features interactive elements that relate to the development of selected materials presented in the exhibition, the use of various types of technologies and techniques of surface treatment. Visitors can for example touch copies of works of art and try out specialized techniques.

TOUCHES OF THE NORTH: Through the nature of the Jizera Mountains and the Frýdlant region

The exhibition presents the most significant natural phenomena of the Czech north through dioramas. The exhibition areas are complemented by several interactive installations, which can be used in a playful way to obtain additional information on the relevant topic or to enjoy the atmosphere of the animal world with the use of other senses like hearing, touch and smell.

LIBEREC FRAGMENTS

The exhibition presents the history of the city of Liberec. The introductory chapter is entitled The Birth of the City, where the main topic is the development of crafts, the acquisition of the City Rights and life against the background of epidemics and wars. This is followed by the turbulent 19th century, named From a Town to the Metropolis of the North, in which the central motifs are the progress and growing self-confidence of the city. This chapter is supplemented by a small section devoted mainly to production in the 20th century. One special section is entitled the Wild North, where exhibits from World War I, the Museum of Nazi Barbarism and iconic items from 1968, whose worth is that of relics, are exhibited.

PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY

Chamber exhibition area for the presentation of personal photographs, historical photographs of the region and postcards. The exhibition as a whole presents prints, negatives and other works in this field in variable thematic exhibitions.

AUTOMATOPHONES

The exhibition presents mechanical jukeboxes, most of which are fully functional, so visitors can enjoy them not only visually but also by listening to them. Among the exhibits on display, we can mention, for example, pianolas (made in Liberec and the surrounding area), as well as orchestrions, polyphones, small music boxes and barrel organs.

NATIVITY SCENE BY JÁCHYM METELKA

Unique evidence of the nativity scene craft of the Western Giant Mountains, which has recently undergone a complete renovation. It is a joint work of Jáchym Metelka (1825–1902) and his son Václav (1866–1954). The nativity scene is three and a half meters wide and features 250 wooden figures, of which more than a third are movable. The nativity scene is open to the public all year round.

CRYSTAL TOWER

• Liberec - po stopách Liebiegů (CZ, DE, EN, PL) [Liberec-brozura Architektura-A6-OK.pdf | 4.47 MB | application/pdf]