Czech and Slovak Museology, Current Status and the Future of This Branch of Science
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MUSEOLOGI OG UDDANNELSER ● NORDISK MUSEOLOGI 2007 ● 2, S. 99-186 Czech and Slovak museology, current status and the future of this branch of science JAN DOLÁK* The first person to use the term “museology” Helfert, a leading Moravian museologist, can in the Czech environment seems to have been be considered as the first comprehensive edu- Mr. Kliment Cermák, teacher and museolo- cational programme focused on museography. gist, who for the first time formulated a need After World War II, museology was cultivated for special education to be provided for mu- in Prague, particularly by J. Neustupný, and seum workers in his article Education in Mu- later J. Beneš and J. Špét. Proper teaching of seology from 1901 published under his edi- museology was launched in 1965 at a newly torship in the Bulletin of Czech & Slavonic established site in the Faculty of Arts, Brno Archaeological and Museum Association. His University, in close cooperation with the Mo- publication activities were continued by V. V. ravian Museum in Brno, founded by the later Jenícek in the magazine “Czech & Slavonic ICOM President J. Jelínek, and Z. Z. Strán- Museum Annals” between 1902 and 1910 ský, when in particular the latter became a le- and by Albín Stocký in the magazine ading museology theorist within at least the “Museum Horizon” published between 1925 Central European area. Brno played an im- and 1928. In Slovakia, there were A. Kmet’ portant role in foundation and development and F. Sasinek, and later P. Kri ko, M. Rybec- of ICOM committees for museology (ICO- ký, A. Gregorová and M. Lalkovic, standing at FOM) and education of personnel (ICTOP). the beginning and formation of museology. The magazine “Museology Sheets” issued in This generation, and for the most part also the this period became a platform for the develop- following generation, were on a level compa- ment of museology within the whole of Euro- rable with the European elite but they publis- pe that could not be ignored. Besides scienti- hed mainly in the Czech language, therefore fic activities, this site provided museum staff they remained more or less hidden from the with a university education, who needed to rest of the world. Museology undoubtedly has complete their knowledge in museology, with a long tradition in Central Europe and this a three-year specialized study programme. paper aims to reflect the present status and This study was completed successfully by 226 key issues in the environment of the former candidates. The International Summer School Czechoslovakia. of Museology established in Brno in 1987 has Lectureships in Museology established at the achieved an international reputation in a very University in Brno in 1921 thanks to Jaroslav short time. The school was proud to have a JAN DOLÁK 100 Fig. 1. Jan Dolák ( the first from right) as a leader of discussion panel in Moscow, conference ”Intercultural and Interreligious dialogue for sustainable development”, September 2007. wide range of recognized teachers (among ot- far a total of 300 students have been enrolled hers, B. Deloche, P. v. Mench, I. Maroevic, K. for full time study, from which 171 have alre- Hudson, M. Schärer), as well as graduates ady graduated, in 73 cases with the Master’s from all over the world (An Laishun from title. Combined study of museology has been China, M. Lalkovic from Slovakia, etc.). entered by a total of 161 people, from which The change of social and economical condi- 24 have completed their studies with the title tions in 1989/1990 caused a key break- of Master and 45 with the title of Bachelor. through in the whole museum sphere. Museo- Museology is also taught in Brno at the Facul- logy was released from a uniform ideology and ty of Science. Eight of 14 students enrolled in its development has unusually accelerated. It museological biology and 37 of 76 students must be noted however, that the development enrolled in geology and museology, have alre- was more quantitative than qualitative. Since ady graduated.1 1993, regular Master’s and Bachelor’s studies New conditions were favourable enough to of museology have been accredited at the Fa- allow the establishment of an independent culty of Arts in Brno with the options of full- Department of Museology and habilitation of time study or study combined with another Z. Z. Stránský as a full college lecturer for this branch (most frequently with history, art his- branch in 1993. Museology teaching and de- tory, but also pedagogy, psychology etc.). So velopment in Brno as a scientific branch have CZECH AND SLOVAK MUSEOLOGY, CURRENT STATUS AND THE FUTURE OF THIS BRANCH OF SCIENCE been supported by a special branch of the stantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 101 UNESCO Chair of Museology and World in the Department of History, at Matej Bel Heritage since 1996. University in Banska Bystrica, in the Faculty At the Bachelor and Master level of study, of Arts, Komensky University in Bratislava, study at the Silesian University in Opava has Department of Ethnology and Cultural An- been accredited only if combined with history. thropology (only Bachelor’s study, so far), at There is a clear intention to establish the stu- the University in ilina and others. (Hrcka, dy of museology at the Faculty of Philosophy Krišková 2006). and Arts, Charles University in Prague.2 A Quantitative development is clear proof that museology course, with a volume in most ca- this branch of study is more attractive within ses of 2 semesters, is taught within the study the Central European area but there are some programme of ethnology and art history at the obvious obstacles, such as a lack of good tea- Masaryk University in Brno, within the study chers, material facilities and, primarily, deve- programme of archaeology; and ethnology at lopment of museology as an independent pe- the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, Charles culiar science. Museology is not accredited at University in Prague, within the study pro- the third, doctorate level anywhere in the ter- gramme of archaeology at the University of ritory of the former Czechoslovakia. People West Bohemia in Pilsen, within the study pro- who wish to commit themselves to museology gramme of history of culture at the University and feel that it is their mission must achieve of East Bohemia in Pardubice, etc. A brief in- their academic qualification, i.e. titles such as troduction to museology is presented in other PhD., lecturer or professor, through other re- academic locations, e.g. at the Mining and lated studies. It is not therefore possible to be Metallurgy University – Technical University committed fully to museology as a main sub- in Ostrava, within the study programme of ject of interest and to just happen to become a Geoscience and Industrial Tourism and at hig- professor of archaeology, ethnology or peda- her specialized schools in Prague and Brno. gogy, regardless of the fact that related branc- From many training sessions, seminars and hes of study can offer absolutely different con- courses, the largest scope is recognized at the ditions to young capable scientists for their School of Museum Propedeutics, operated by personal development than the museology the Association of Museums and Galleries of branch. We already “borrow” experts from ot- the Czech Republic, Prague, incl. extended her branches for the strict criteria for bachelor studies. It can be summarized, that something and master study accreditation. It is a vicious like museology, museography or museum sci- circle. We do not have enough qualified ex- ence is taught at 15 sites throughout the perts and due to that fact museology cannot Czech Republic. be awarded a doctorate level of study; but how Despite the split of the Czechoslovak Repu- do we get such experts under such conditions? blic into two states in 1992, the situation in Step by step, Czech and Slovak museologists Slovakia is very similar to the Czech Republic have been overcoming the handicap of illitera- and educational programmes focused on mu- cy in western world languages, but their pu- seology are spread out all over the country. blication activities in English or German, and Fully accredited museology is taught at Con- even in Czech and Slovak, are not very out- JAN DOLÁK 102 standing. It is a little shaming that from the condition of collections were improved. Exhi- entire Czech museology community, the most bitions abroad or in cooperation with foreign productive author is eternally active, 81-year partners (often non-European) became more old Z. Z. Stránský, who regularly publishes customary. Permanent and large exhibitions his articles in the Munich journal “Museum are built, sometimes of very high quality. It is Aktuell” and in other magazines (Stránský worth mentioning at least a permanent exhi- 2005). bition of the Technical Museum in Brno, Via facti, at the end of the 20th century, the awarded in “The Best in Heritage” competi- prestigious International Summer School of tion in 2006, which is held regularly in Du- Museology was closed. Partly due to losing its brovnik in Croatia. After premature refusal of attraction after the fall of the communist regi- “documentation of contemporaneity” (called me, when this occasion was no longer the sole somewhat unpleasantly – documentation of opportunity for the East and West to meet, socialism – that time in our country) just af- but also due to gross organisational and perso- ter 1989, museum workers are slowly coming nal negligence in 2000-2002. Unfortunately, back to those topics today, which is documen- Brno abandoned this tradition when similar ted by the fourth symposium dedicated to this summer schools were being established in ot- issue, organised by the Technical Museum in her countries (Celje in Slovenia, Amsterdam Brno in 2007.