Ethnographic Museum of the Plzen Region

The Plzen Ethnographic Museum is located in the Republic Square of the city. Here, in the heart of the city, an interesting exhibition has been placed in two historically connected houses.

You enter the museum through a passageway between two houses. The museum ticket office is also located here.

History of the museum

The Ethnographic Museum is located in two Renaissance houses, the Chotěšovský House and the Gerlachovský House. Both buildings are listed and connected with each other.

The Gerlachovský House was almost demolished around 1910, fortunately it was preserved due to the efforts of a circle of friends. It was decided to use the building as a museum and at first they showed smaller exhibitions. In 1919 the opening of the Ethnographic Museum took place.

During the Second World War, some valuable exhibits disappeared. After the war, they restored the exhibition.

When the communists came to power, various museums were merged to form the Museum of West Bohemia. Today, the museum is still a part of the Museum of West Bohemia and is administered by the Ethnographic Department.

The ethnographic collection now numbers more than 77,000 exhibits and is one of the largest ethnographic collections in the Czech Republic. Many exhibits are also in other museums in the country.

Tour of the Ethnographic Museum in Plzen

The Ethnographic Museum of the Plzen Region underwent comprehensive renovations from 2021 to 2023. I visited the museum for the first time shortly before the renovation. Back then, only a guided tour was available, during which I could read the information in a thick binder provided in German. To be honest, I was very curious to see how the exhibition—and especially the presentation—had changed.

Let me say right away: a lot has changed, and I like it significantly better. Today, you have the opportunity to stroll through the permanent exhibitions on your own. The information panels are mostly multilingual, and there are also several multimedia stations that add variety to the visit.

You experience the exhibition rooms as a tour through the two historic buildings. Often, the rooms themselves are worth seeing without even glancing at the exhibits: large ceiling beams, crooked walls, small windows, and “remnants” of historical usage, such as a toilet.

Permanent exhibition: ‘From village to city’

There are several rooms devoted to the theme of housing. Here you can see the furnishings of middle-class homes from different eras.

I also find it fascinating to look into a kitchen with an open fire and clay pots. Behind a door, we also discover a ‘black kitchen’. To this day, the room is characterised by its soot-blackened walls and is also somewhat eerie. I wouldn’t have liked to cook there.

One of the rooms was set up as a small shop. It featured a sales counter with a scale, some typical products, and a cabinet with drawers. This is exactly how I always imagined a rural general store.

Customs and Traditions

The second focus of the Ethnographic Museum of the Plzen Region deals with the theme of “Livelihood, Clothing, and Customs.”

I was impressed by the beautiful traditional costumes from the Plzen region. I would really love to see them worn at an event sometime and watch a traditional dance performed in them.

I also found the area dedicated to crafts very fascinating. Obviously, beer was and is brewed in the region. A small old still showed us that there were also schnapps distillers.

What I didn’t know was that wooden shoes were also worn in the Plzen region, reminding me very much of the Netherlands. We were able to take a closer look at a typical clog maker’s workspace.

The looms needed to produce beautiful fabrics were also a must.

The theme of tradition is explored in great detail at the Ethnographic Museum. We visited the city during the Christmas season, so we focused our attention on the customs of that time.

I found a large Nativity scene particularly impressive. I could have stood in front of this exhibit forever. Such an abundance of details and such a colorful, imaginative depiction—I really loved it.

A custom that I had never heard of before is still practised in the region on St. Nicholas Day. On 5 December, St. Nicholas arrives here accompanied by angels and devils. The devils ‘give’ naughty children coal, while St. Nicholas and his angels give presents to well-behaved children.

It’s a shame we didn’t have more time. I would have liked to have paid more attention to the customs surrounding Easter and the beginning of spring.

Found object

There is a cat paw print on the floor in one of the rooms. It was deliberately placed there to bring good luck. – Have fun looking for it!

Visitor Information

Address

Národopisné muzeum Plzeňska
náměstí Republiky 13
301 00 Plzeň

Disclosure: The visit to the Pilsen Ethnographic Museum was part of a research trip to the region.