Opening of the Duchcov Castle to the public in the 1960s and in the first half of the 1970s

This thesis deals with the opening of the Duchcov Chateau to the public in the 1960s and in the first half of the 1970s. It aims to show this process within the context of the town of Duchcov, located in the mining-affected North Bohemian Brown Coal Basin. The town was recovering from the consequences of mining activities in its immediate vicinity and, to some extent, within its own territory and at that time was seeking a new identity which manifested itself in taking care of monuments, the environment, and tourism. The text identifies the persons and institutions involved that played their important roles in each of the phases, what technical and organizational issues had to be dealt with, and how all this was presented and appraised in public. Attention is also paid to the cultural and political content hidden in the exhibitions installed in the castle and the significance of the historical building within the framework of the town. Besides that, the work also touches on the fate of the castle gardens and the demolished Baroque hospital. It covers the period from 1963 to 1975, with occasional excursions into older or more recent periods. From a methodological point of view, the work is grounded in regional history and is also inspired by other conceptually interesting texts. Reflections on the...