Zprávy památkové péče 2014, 74(4):329-338

Captain of the gunship of the Imperial and Royal Navy, Johannes von und zu Liechtenstein through the camera lens

Andrej Žiarovský, Valburga Vavřinová

The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) has been devoting its attention to historical photography since about the beginning of the 21st century, mostly through the execution of various research and scientific projects, tasks, and objectives. So far the largest and most comprehensive research project dealing with historical photographic material which the NPÚ has been involved in is the project "Historical photographic material - identification, documentation, interpretation, presentation, application, care, and protection in the context of the basic types of memory institutions" (code DF13P01OVV007) as part of the National and Cultural Identity (NAKI) program of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. In its own collections, the NPÚ has records of 237,756 photographic items, including negatives and films on very diverse topics. Part of the collection of the Záhradky Castle, stored in the depository at the Mnichovo Hradiště Castle, is a set of prints and negatives from the period of active service of a leading representative of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy, Prince Johannes von und zu Liechtenstein in the War Navy. These are unique amateur shots illustrating the daily life of a high naval officer and his crew. Studio photographs have an official character and correspond to the social conventions of the time. As part of Austria-Hungary, the Czech lands had access to the sea and possessed a war navy, and roughly a tenth of the sailors of the Austro-Hungarian fleet came from the Czech lands. Czech historiography has devoted greater attention to the phenomenon of the Austro-Hungarian sailors only in recent years. Hitherto unpublished unique photographs and negatives from the Záhradky collection have been used as part of the NAKI project to compile a research article exploring the possibilities of using original photographic material as a specific source and to supplement and expand knowledge about the fate of the men serving the Austro-Hungarian Empire and who fought in the last war that it waged.

Keywords: Austria-Hungary, navy, destroyer ship, First World War, the great war, Johannes von und zu Liechtenstein, historical photography

Published: December 1, 2014  Show citation