The exhibition in Hrabal's cottage in Kersko will be fully operational in 2024

Nymburk – A new exhibition in the cottage of writer Bohumil Hrabal in Kersko, Nymburk will be fully operational in 2024. However, visitors will be able to tour the cottage earlier, for example during the traditional event Hrabal's Kersko. The exhibition is expected to include Hrabal's personal belongings and will also incorporate the use of augmented reality, which will enhance the spaces with additional interesting elements. A new facility providing visitor services will also be created on the property, said the regional councilor for culture Václav Švenda (Allies) to journalists today.

"We would like the environment of the cottage to be as authentic as possible. However, because there have been irreversible structural modifications, we also want to integrate modern elements, such as augmented reality, to show what the interior looked like during Bohumil Hrabal's life," said Švenda. Visitors will be able to view the original spaces using a mobile app and compare them with reality.

Last week, the regional councilors approved the purchase of Hrabal's former cottage, but the proposal still needs the approval of the council members. The property appeared in the summer on the offerings of a real estate agency, which initially demanded 11.9 million crowns for it. Through negotiations, the price was successfully reduced by two million.

According to Švenda, based on a survey of similar sales, the owners set a negotiating range from 9.9 to 14 million crowns. "Through negotiations, we reached the lowest possible compromise price," Švenda stated. According to him, the owners realized their social responsibility and would like to entrust the care of Hrabal's legacy to the region. The land around the cottage covers over 3700 m², and ten percent can be built upon.

The purchase agreement could be signed in December, according to Švenda, and the acquisition of the cottage could still be funded from this year's budget. "We would like to have it fully operational in 2024, when a facility with visitor services should also be built," added Švenda. However, the cottage is expected to open to visitors even sooner, for example next year during the Hrabal's Kersko event. It could first be accessible in February, on the occasion of the anniversary of the writer's death.

The regional government wants to develop an exhibition in the cottage where Hrabal stayed and created, commemorating the writer's life, work, and his connection to the recreational settlement of Kersko. Exhibited items could include Hrabal's typewriters, chair, or bicycle. The preparation of the exhibition and its operation will involve the Polabí Museum on behalf of the region and the Memorial of Czech Literature on behalf of the Ministry of Culture. The region and the ministry had previously committed to this in a cooperation memorandum. It is not yet clear how much the regional government will allocate for the creation of the exhibition. According to Švenda, it should not exceed 15 million crowns.

Jan Vinduška, the director of Polabí Museum, reminded that his museum has been managing Hrabal's legacy for a quarter of a century and has many collectible items associated with the writer. "By acquiring the cottage, we will expand our exhibition space," he stated. While the main Hrabal exhibition will remain at the Nymburk museum, some items will return to the original spaces in Kersko.

Kersko is part of the municipality of Hradišťko in Nymburk. The neighbors from the cottage settlement were the inspiration for Hrabal's book "Slavnosti sněženek," which also inspired the film of the same name directed by Jiří Menzel. The writer bought the cottage in 1965. Childless, Hrabal bequeathed the cottage to his neighbors.