Exhibition: The Přemyslids—A Ruling Dynasty and Its Era at the National Museum in Prague

Location

Prague, Czech Republic

Year

2026

Products

Museums and exhibitions

With more than 900 exhibits chronicling 500 years of Czech history across an area of 1,040 m², this is the largest historical exhibition in the Czech Republic in recent decades and one of the most significant projects of its kind in Europe. The exhibition features unique artifacts on loan from the Prague Castle Administration and 70 other institutions, offering a comprehensive view of the dynasty that transformed the Czech principality into a kingdom, fundamentally shaped Czech history, and influenced events in Central Europe from the late 8th century to the early 14th century.

The entire exhibition is divided into four thematic sections, which are visually distinguished by the color scheme of the display panels in the royal colors—crimson, royal blue, emerald green, and black—with gold and silver lettering. The arrangement of the exhibition panels symbolizes the fundamental attributes of the dynasty. The blue entrance section, with its cross-shaped layout, signifies the faith and spiritual continuity of the family; the crimson and emerald green section, with its axial composition, is a symbol of rule, power, and statehood, representing the princely era on one side and the royal era on the other; and finally, the circular black section symbolizes family, blood ties, and identity.

Products Delivered

At NUSSLI, we handled the entire implementation of this exceptional exhibition, from technical drawings and production to the actual installation.

We supplied nearly 160 display cases, almost 1,500 m2 of cladding panels, and about 20 km of edging for all the panels, including the substructures.

We built a circular aluminum structure with a diameter of 5.3 m, over which we stretched a printed fabric depicting the Romanesque frescoes of the Rotunda of St. Catherine in Znojmo. The individual products included display panels, glass display cases with security locks, LED strips, and spotlights; display cases made of metal and painted MDF; and special painted pedestals.

Challenges

The installation of exhibition panels and display cases in the historic building of the National Museum in Prague, a listed structure, presented a number of specific challenges that required careful planning and the utmost coordination. All installation procedures had to be adapted to ensure that the historic features were not compromised, while also meeting the high safety requirements for both visitors and exhibits.

Another challenge was the need for a flexible installation solution. It was necessary to respond quickly to spatial constraints and technical details directly on site. This placed high demands on the implementation team’s experience and ability to make quick decisions.

We also had to ensure increased structural stability to accommodate a large number of very heavy exhibition artifacts weighing a total of 6.5 metric tons, as well as special inspection hatches made of expanded metal.

Furthermore, the project was completed on a tight schedule, which required precise coordination of the individual phases and effective management of both supplies and installation work.