Africké muzeum Dr. Emila Holuba Museum

Welcome to Holice. You're standing in front of a place that's a lot more than just a rock and concrete building. In front of your eyes is Africké muzeum Dr. Emila Holuba, a place that serves as a bridge between our quiet Czech landscape and the endless, fascinating spread and diversity of the African continent. Feel this atmosphere. Do you feel the strange combination of the peace of a small town and the excitement of the unknown hidden within these walls? This building, which now looks so elegant and balanced on you, is a symbol of human curiosity and a desire to know the world.

But let us first go back in time and understand why this place is standing here. To understand the meaning of this building, we must first understand the man whose name he bears. Emil Holub wasn't just an ordinary native from Holc. He was a man who, with his courage and scientific reasoning, was crossing the borders of the world back then. As a doctor and traveller, he was exploring areas that were almost unattainable to the then Europeans. His life was a constant movement, searching for and documenting what humanity had never known. When he died in 1902, he left not only a huge scientific legacy, but also a deep gap in the hearts of people who admired his work.

The idea that his legacy should be preserved right here in his hometown began to form shortly after his death. The first steps towards this goal were taken in 1956, when the memorial hall was founded directly on the local parish. But that was only the beginning of a long journey. A real breakthrough occurred in the 1960s. From 1962 to 1966, a building began to be a permanent home for rare collections and a monument to this extraordinary man. In 1966 there was a ceremonial opening under the name Dr. Emil Holub Memorial.

Now look at the building that surrounds you. Notice her form. It's not just an ordinary house. This elegant hall building is exhibited in the spirit of international modernity. Its lines are clean, balanced and very modern, despite decades gone by. The work of two important experts, Stefan Imrich and David Vávra, is behind this architectural perception. If you look at its facade and its overall structure now, you will see how architecture tries to achieve harmony and simplicity, which is typical of the creative thinking at that time. This building is not just a vessel for objects, it itself is an artwork that reflects the era when the world began to open up to new forms of expression. And thanks to this high aesthetic and historical value, the building of the museum and the adjacent cultural house in 2024 were created by a monument protection. This means that what you are seeing right now is a protected heritage that we must share together for future generations.

But to understand how the monument became today's unique African world, we need to mention another essential figure. It wasn't just Emil's courage, it was the loyalty of the people who were left behind. His wife, Růžena Holubová, played a key role in preserving his legacy. It was thanks to her hands and her decision that rare collections were dedicated to the city of Holecks. Without her efforts, today's visitors would not be able to touch real history and see the artifacts that Emil Holub acquired during its travels. It's a beautiful love story that's turned into an immortal gift for the whole city and the world.

You may now wonder how this monument turned into what we see today. In 2012 the museum underwent major reconstruction and reopening. That's when it officially became Dr. Emil Holub's African Museum. This has enabled the personal history of a native to be linked to the wider, global context of his discoveries. Now in the interior, it meets a very personal one with a very distant one.

I want to tell you one interesting thing that gives this place a human dimension. This building was not built only by state resources or large companies. Between 1962 and 1966, this building was built in a spirit of self-help. Imagine the effort, the energy of the local people who wanted to have their memorial on their hero. This collective effort to create something lasting is still felt in the foundation of the museum. Every stone and every line in this building carries a trail of human will and common purpose.

Now that you know the roots of this place, it's time to move on. In front of you is a world that is full of colors, textures and unexpected stories. Inside you will have an exhibition that will not only passive educate you, but will communicate with you. You will see authentic artifacts that come from deep within Africa, Dr. Holub's personal effects that will bring you closer to his everyday life, and also modern interactive elements that will allow you to better understand distant cultures.

So let's go in together. Let yourself be carried away by the stories that have taken place here, and let yourself be surprised by the beauty of the things that were once so far away from us, but now they are here, right in the heart of Holc. I wish you a fascinating journey through time and space. Welcome to the world of Emil Holub.