The National Technical Museum (Czech: Národní Tìechnické Muzeum) (NTM) in Prague is the largest institution dedicated to the conservation of information and artefacts related to the history of technology in the Czech Republic. The museum was founded in 1908 and has been located in its current location (adjacent to the Letná Park) since 1941.
Among the precursors of the NTM, we can classify the collection activities of the professional engineering school (founded in 1717 in Prague), continued by the polytechnic institute (founded in 1806) and finally the opening of the Czech industrial museum founded by VojtÄ›ch Náprstek in 1874. Parts of his collections were even transferred to today's NTM later in the 20th century.
The museum has large exhibitions representing about 15% of its total collection. The museum also manages substantial archives consisting of about 3,500 linear meters of archival material and about 250,000 books.
In 2001 the museum opened a railway museum containing about 100 railway vehicles.
The 2002 European floods caused damage to about 200 cubic meters of documents in the museum, in a separate location from the main building. The work needed for drying and restoring the materials should continue until 2013.
The National Technical Museum was closed in September 2006 due to lengthy renovations. The reopening was scheduled for February 2008, but in the end it took place in February 2011.
Jan Kašpar donated the aircraft, with which he had flown from Pardubice to Velká Chuchle in 1911, to the National Technical Museum in Prague. The plane is still on display at the museum.
NTM - National Technical Museum
Address: Kostelnà 1320/42, 170 78 Praha 7
Phone: +420 220 399 111
Site:
http://www.ntm.cz/enLocation inserted by
Paola Bonometti