Written Material and Prints

The sub-collection Written Material and Prints may be briefly described as a collection of written material of archival nature – diplomas, vocational certificates, sigillographic material, leaflets, invitations, identity cards, etc. They are mostly of local provenience with partial overlap into the national scope (Czech kingdom, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia). It may be chronologically delimited from 16th to 20th century. Throughout its existence, the sub-collection experienced several heavy losses (WWII) and delimitations into the State District Archive (deceased estates, seals).

The sub-collection is currently divided into a few subject groups:

Shares, lottery tickets and quittances

Akcie

The group includes materials from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Very unusual is a bigger number of mostly foreign lottery tickets (Lower Hungary, Germany, Italy), the most remarkable items are the shares of the Čáslav-Močovice sugar factory from 1871, which were hidden right in its walls together with the document commemorating the foundation of the sugar factory.

Guilds and Trade Associations

Cechy

Mostly vocational certificates, journeman certificates, but also General Guild Articles printed in 1739 in Prague or the statutes of the Shoemakers’ Trade Association in Uhlířské Janovice from the year 1862.

Diplomas and Certificates of Merit

Diplom

This group is among the largest ones and includes diplomas awarded to municipalities, associations, personalities and the town privileges and rights of domicile. The most remarkable sets are the diplomas of Jan Erazim Wocel, Bedřich Pacák or Antonín Schneider-Svoboda.

Genealogical documents

Genealogie

The group is composed mostly of ordinary genealogical documents from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Birth and baptism certificates, marriage certificates or marriage contracts, death certificates or obituaries. The oldest materials include a few banishment orders and especially the 1812-1830 marriage contract index from Jindice.

Town Privileges

Town Privileges

This small group includes e.g. electoral roles for the elections in Kutná Hora or the annual management report from Uhlířské Janovice.

Deceased Estates

Deceased Estates

Another large group includes mostly single entities which have not been delimited into the State District Archive Kutná Hora. From among the most prominent Kutná Hora’s personalities we can find bits and pieces from the deceased estates of Josef Kajetán Tyl, Jan Erazim Wocel or Jiří Zach. The only larger set is the deceased estate of Emanuel Viktor Voska.

Invitations and Programs

Invitations and Programs

Written material originating majorly in the late 19th century, the paper lace programs of concerts from the mid-19th century are more likely just a curiosity.

Identity Cards and Personal Documents

Identity Cards and Personal Documents

Represent a relatively heterogeneous group. There is documentation of the existence of various deposit and savings books from banking institutions in Kutná Hora, Čáslav and Uhlířské Janovice, the excise tax books and labour books, but also some old business cards of prominent Kutná Hora citizens.

Sigillography

Sigillography

Originally the museum owned almost all preserved seal matrixes from Kutná Hora, however, all have been delimited to the State District Archive Kutná Hora. The group is currently composed of just a few items which are, however, very well complemented by the copies of seals and seal matrixes registered in the study material.

Societies and Associations

Societies and Associations

The written material of individual societies and associations originates majorly in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Among the largest ones we can find the Amateur Theatrical Society Tyl or the Singers´ Society Tyl. A single entity, all the more interesting, is a New Year greeting card for all Kutná Hora´s citizens from the Lamplighter Society.

State decrees

State decrees

The group includes printed material revolving around the revolutionary year 1848 and the constitutional proceedings. The oldest decrees are the Maria Theresa´s poaching patent from 1752 and the patent on gambling games from 1765.

Education

Education

The set is mostly composed of various school reports (primary schools – general, grammar schools, universities), including the so-called teacher´s professional qualification certificate, i.e. a report about the teacher. One of the oldest is Josef Jaromír Štětka´s diploma from Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague (M.D. diploma). Furthermore, there are registered for instance school exercise-books, teacher´s notebook, special prizes for diligency or the tablets with a wonderfully prescribed current handwritting.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

This group files a very interesting and varied material, and what is more, the oldest. The oldest written document is the consecration charter of the St Wenceslaus´ chapel at Hrádek, which was consecrated by the bishop Filip Villanuova in 1504. Furthermore, there is for instance the so-called hunger crown from 1953, two household inventories from 1682-84 and 1691-92, the Land register of the Žehušice domain with entries from 1596 to 1676 or the Description of the serfs on the Schoenfeld domain from 1704.

The sub-collection currently comprises more than 1500 collection items, major part of which have been inventoried using the second degree registration and are accessible in the on-line catalogue.

Administrator: Bc. Josef Kremla