Books with destiny - video presentation of the project
Latest articles
Website - main communication toolThe project Books Discovered Once Again is interdisciplinary, connecting historical research with librarianship. This is why we take the project promotion seriously. For us, the main communication channel is our website.
On general issues of movement of books in Czechoslovakia after World War II
After World War II, extensive unprecedented transfer of cultural assets took place in Czechoslovakia. Besides art objects, this included at least 16 million documented volumes of books.
Archive sources documenting handling of books and book collections in Czechoslovakia after 1918
Although the research hypothesis was that the National Library’s reserve fonds consist entirely of books confiscated from the enemies of the Nazi regime in neighbouring Germany and elsewhere in occupied Europe, the findings show otherwise...
Number of documented volumes
We are cataloguing books yet unread books from the reserve funds. Books to the library received in different ways during World War II and shortly after.
Fate of confiscated books
The National Library has initiated unique research documenting confiscated books and books dispossessed and brought to Czechoslovakia during World War II or shortly afterwards. These books were scattered among many institutions and a large number of books were lost forever. Nevertheless, they form an integral part of our cultural heritage and are often the only mementos of their original owners. They also represent examples of the way cultural heritage is/has been treated.
Basic information about the project
The project Books Discovered Once Again is funded by EEA and Norway Grants within the Programme CZ 06 - Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Art. The seventeen-month international project aimed at books confiscated or brought to the country is running from 1 January 2015 to 31 April 2017. The project is extended to the end of April 2017 by BFB initiatives. The principle project implementer is the National Library of the Czech Republic, and the foreign partner is the Norwegian foundation Stiftelsen Arkivet.