Chotěboř will open a new municipal museum on September 2, the building has been under renovation for two years

Chotěboř – Chotěboř in the Havlíčkův Brod region will open a new city museum on September 2. The renovation of the former post office at the square is nearly complete, except for minor details, and the building now has a new facade. The work is focused on equipping the interior spaces. The first exhibition will be dedicated to the work of Zdenek Rykra, a painter, illustrator, and author of advertising graphics, who was born in the city. Ondřej Kozub (ODS), the mayor, confirmed this to ČTK.

The building, which is opposite the city hall, started its renovation in the summer of 2024. "Preparations for the interior are currently ongoing, such as building all the furniture, exhibition showcases, installing audiovisual technology, and setting up the actual exhibitions," said the mayor.

The city received a grant from the European IROP program for the ongoing project, which has total costs exceeding 100 million crowns. The city museum was last located in the Chotěboř castle, but in recent years it has not had exhibition space.

"I believe we will have a truly beautiful museum, with a modern interactive exhibition," said Kozub. He anticipates that museum staff will provide programs for schools from the broader surrounding areas. On the ground floor, there will be a hall for city council meetings and other discussions, as well as an information center, which will also serve as the entrance reception for the museum. The first floor will feature an exhibition highlighting the surrounding landscape with the valley of the Doubrava River. There will also be rooms for temporary exhibitions. The first will showcase the work of Zdenek Rykra, whose Orion star still adorns chocolates today. On the top floor, the museum exhibition will present the history of the city.

Museum staff have a busy summer. "Whatever we can do, we do in advance. We are somehow brainstorming all of it, testing. Once the builders and furniture makers leave, we will settle in," said museum director Michal Kamp regarding the creation of new exhibitions.

The museum in Chotěboř was founded in 1885. It has been located in the castle since 1952. The original owners, the Dobrzensky family, had the castle returned to them in the early 90s. The museum then remained in the castle based on a rental agreement, moving out five years ago. Its collections contain over 30,000 items. The city has already built a depository for them, located a few streets away from the new museum.