National Czech & Slovak Museum

During our lunch break on Sunday, we visited the National Czech & Slovak Museum.  It was very rich in history but poor in original, authentic artifacts.  The building is beautiful architecturally, and a magnificent chandelier graces the foyer.

At the information desk we paid our $10.00 admission fees, and the receptionist showed us a map of the museum.  Across from the desk was the theater where we could watch films about the history of the museum and Czech and Slovak history.

 Since we only had one hour in which to tour the museum, I stepped into the theater to see it, but did not stay to watch the films.  The photo on the right shows the museum flooded during the horrific flooding Cedar Rapids faced in 2008.  More than $11 million of damage was done, and some of the museum's collections were damaged, which may account for the relative lack of original artifacts.  After the flood, the large building was moved 480 feet to higher ground.

After talking with the receptionist, we visited Smith Gallery.  Currently on exhibition was Peter Sis' Cartography of the Mind displayed on loan at the museum from September 2014 to March 1, 2015 (we saw it on its last day there).  Sis' art is expressive.

From there, we went to the Petrik Gallery which currently is home to the temporary exhibit Tragedy of the Slovak Jews.  The walls are lined with storyboards with the stories of the Slovak Jews and of the national uprising as well as photos of the holocaust, underground workers, and other prominent figures. 

 Also on the walls were examples of anti-semitic propaganda and posters.  A concentration camp uniform and a national uprising uniform were on display, as was the star of David which the Nazis forced the Jews to wear.  In the display on the lower left is a replica of how prisoners made their chess sets--by drawing the board on a piece of paper and shaping bread dough into pieces.  

The Holocaust was a dreadful example of inhumanity, and I pray the world will never see such hatred, unprovoked cruelty, and needless suffering of humans at the hands of others on such a wide scale again.  

Next, we toured the Jiruska Gallery to see the permanent exhibition Faces of Freedom: The Czech and Slovak Journey.

The photo on the upper left shows the entrance to the gallery with quotes on the walls.  Each of the speakers is playing a voice relating the thoughts of the person portrayed in the cut-out.  However, with all the voices playing at once, it was hard to distinguish what each voice was saying.

On the upper right is a timeline of notable Czechoslovakian events.  The lower right shows what the inside of a ship would look like.  The mirrors on the far wall create an interesting effect, making the ship seem twice as big as it is.  The same effect with mirrors is used for the costume display. 

 Aren't the traditional outfits colorful?  In this part of the room you could choose what type of regional music you would like to listen to as you admired the dresses.

 The display in the upper left is on sewing.  The upper right shows a period living room.

Soviet propaganda posters are displayed as well as a Young Pioneer's uniform.  Other clothing items are also on display.  Voices and videos playing here and there throughout the museum with various displays lend a rather eerie feel. 

Seeing the Nazi and then Soviet propaganda made me wonder how much propaganda we are being fed today. 

 Last of all, I visited the gift shop.  There were many beautiful glass and china dishes on display, most were for sale.  Also available were cards, books, and the normal gift shop-type items.

The Skala Bartizal library is open most of the week, but since it is closed on Sundays and Mondays, we didn't have the opportunity to see it.  Guided tours to what I understood was a small, historically furnished cabin are given at set times throughout the day.

Was the museum worth the $10.00 admission fee?  It's not terribly expensive, but you can visit the State Historical Museum or the Iowa Gold Star Museum for free, and both have vaster collections of original artifacts.  The Wapsipinicon Feed Mill and Dam is also free.  You can visit the Antique Car Museum of Iowa and the Johnson County Historical Museum for $5.00 total, and you can get a round trip ride at the Fenelon Place Elevator for $3.00.

In other words, while $10.00 may be a reasonable amount, there are a lot of other places in Iowa that are more interesting and much less expensive.

That said, the museum was interesting, and I learned more about Czech and Slovak History.  If I had the chance to live the day over, I would stand by my decision of visiting, simply because I would not want to look back and ask myself, "Why didn't I visit that museum?  I was so close!"