Zprávy památkové péče 2013, 73(2):126-131

Method of presenting earthen buildings in natural museums

Martin Novotný

Monuments of folk architecture have great historical and artistic value and are an important part of the cultural heritage of the Czech Republic. Museums set in natural settings are institutions that present selected components of life and culture of the population of past generations. Their most visible parts are folk structures, which are usually moved from their original location to the museum premises. Regarding complete transfer, we may speak primarily of objects from wood, their constructional material allowing for the disassembly of the structure and its subsequent assembly elsewhere. For masonry buildings, especially clay, similar procedures are complicated by the initial raw materials used in the original masonry. The actual transfer of such buildings is essentially eliminated. When an outdoor museum holds such buildings, then, in an ideal situation they are full scientific replicas, in which the rough building is rebuilt from new material. The final exterior finish, including the earthen plaster, is usually carried out according to the original property on the basis of precise documentation.

Keywords: folk architecture, clay structures, museum presentation, natural museums, replicas

Published: June 1, 2013  Show citation