Twenty-two years ago, during the celebration of the 140th of Kamenice’s elevation to township status, the authorities came up with a fresh idea of how to make use of their old, but still decent vicarage. With this, two goals were set. One was to create a ceremonial wedding hall. This has been already finished. The second goal – creation of a museum – was born after a small exhibition in Kamenice town hall took place in 1993. The mayor of the village, Jan Svoboda, gave his final approval about establishing a museum in 2002, and on July 5, 2003 the museum was opened.

The museum is located in the building of the former vicarage in the Rais Town Square. Interestingly, this structure used to serve as a fort and was owned by a well-known nobleman, Benes of Kocurkov. Later in 1712, Count Josef Frantisek of Schonfeld tastefully fixed up the fort into a church and established a parish there. In September of 1712, the first minister, Johan Adam Paulin, was named to serve the parish. The last known priest in Kamenice was Josef Ranecky who left Trhova Kamenice in 1975 for the town of Pribyslav where he was appointed as provost. Since then up until 2001 the structure deteriorated and served no specific purpose under the ownership of Catholic Church. In 2001 when the village won the building’s ownership extensive reconstruction began.

Realizační tým:

• Hospodka Bohumil – vedoucí týmu
• Svoboda Jan – bývalý starosta obce a vedoucí Komise pro oslavy 150. výročí jmenování Trhové Kamenice městem
• Kábele Pavel – starosta Obce Trhové Kamenice
• Čermáková Dana

Členové realizačního týmu:

• manželé Malinovi, Němec Karel, Němec Václav, Novák Jaromír, Šmahel Ivan a Vápeníková Nataša

Museum Exposition

The main goal of the exhibition is to capture and depict lives of ordinary people of the Zelezne Mountains with specific focus on the village of Trhova Kamenice. Right at the entry hall we can see three large banners identifying with three local associations.

In the next room historical decrees and documents are to be found. Among them is the decree of 1711 by Emperor Joseph I bestowing on our village the right to hold regular “annual fairs.”

Here you will find an iron treasury box left behind by the Swedish army from the era of the Thirty Years War. You can also admire three mortars whose cannonade welcomed distinct visitors and were fired on special occasions.

For the most part, the first room is dedicated to the displays of contemporary furniture, clothing and various accessories.

The second, major exhibition room contains displays and historical documentation on the Voluntary Fire Department, gymnastics organization – Sokol, Neruda Association, a local branch of Czech rural credit bank “Kampelicka”, local resistance during the World War II, and of course notable historical tools utensils and other objects of interest. In the so called nobleman’s corner you can see a valuable display of glass works from Horni Bradlo. Additionally, here you will find brief biographies of honored and unique individuals who lived in Trhova Kamenice.

We boast of a significant display of machines equipment, tools, and other apparatus ordinarily used in the rural world of the past.

The third, smallest exhibition room, is devoted to the history of the school in Trhova Kamenice.

You will learn about all its directors, instructors and teachers. On view are old school reports and certificates, photographs of students, old textbooks, and school supplies. Additionally, you will be able to see academic publications informing teachers on the best educational practices of the time. Of course, part of the exhibition is allocated to the Czech author Karel Vaclav Rais who taught at our community school from 1882 to 1887. 
Upon leaving our museum via the entry hall, you will see an exhibition relating to daily life in Trhova Kamenice today and in the future. This part of the room also houses occasional short-term exhibitions.

Sponsors:

• Daniel Morávek
  TRUHLÁŘSTVÍ MORÁVEK DANIEL
  5. května 41
  Trhová Kamenice
• Zdeněk Kopecký
  ZAHRADNICTVÍ KOPECKÝ ZDENĚK
  Husova 181
  Trhová Kamenice
• Karel Němec
  SOUKROMÝ ZEMĚDĚLEC
  Raisovo náměstí 59
  Trhová Kamenice
• Jaromír Novák
  NOVÁK & SPOL.
  Uhelná 868
  Hradec Králové
• Ladislav Prachař
  SEDLÁŘSTVÍ, ČALOUNICTVÍ, OPRAVA OBUVI
  Raisovo náměstí 54
  Trhová Kamenice
• Jaroslav Zdražil
  UMĚLECKÉ KOVÁŘSTVÍ
  5. května 258
  Trhová Kamenice
• Josef Vaňáč
  učitel ve výslužbě
  Hlinsko v Č.