Kladno minulé

the places in the town that are no longer in existence

Places we pass by every day and that are familiar to us often change without us noticing. Only when we feel like having fresh rolls, to our surprise, we find out that where the bakery used to be for age, there is a boutique or a jeweler´s.

The project „Kladno Past“ is a mosaic of photographs, postcards and stories that give us the opportunity to travel against the time and show the town in views that cannot be seen any more. We believe that you will help us to put this mosaic together.

About the Project

The project has been initiated by the civic association Kladno Záporno and it is financed from private sources. The media partner is Kladno monthly bulletin Kamelot.

The aim of the internet project „Kladno Past“ is to bring to life the history of Kladno, to create new cultural values to be shared by the community, and to encourage discussion on the life of the town.

The history of Kladno is specific in many ways, being short compared with the history of many other Czech towns. Kladno was largely formed by the industrial era and may appear to be an uninteresting town from a historical viewpoint. Our project aims to show that this is not true.

The industrial boom in the second half of 19th century was accompanied by a remarkable development in all fields of social life. It was the time when many new associations came into being, new public buildings were built, and the town spread. The economic, urban and social structure of the town experienced another change after 1948 when its iron and steelworks expanded in order to meet the market needs of the socialist block countries. The latest turning point occured in the year 1989. Since then, the town experienced fundamental changes. Heavy industry production was restricted and coal mines were closed down completely. Kladno lost what was historically the reason for its existence. There was a new challenge for the town to define itself, to find a new identity. This is a continuous process that will hardly ever be accomplished. However, the past should not be forgotten.

We would like to recall the history and memories of our town through old photographs and postcards. We believe that we will encourage local people to become involved in the project, at least those who have a special bond to their town. We believe that private archives represent an inexhaustible source of valuable documents (photos, postcards and others) that may reveal interesting information both to the public and the historians. The enrichment and sharing cannot be single-sided, we are very pleased to have the backing of the Sládečkovo Vlastivědné Muzeum in Kladno and the State District Archive in Kladno. These fine institutions can help us make public the documents that now only accessible to the professionals or enthusiasts.

The visual section of the project will be completed by stories of the particular places, buildings and people whose lives were connected to the Kladno history.

The website www.kladnominule.cz should also become a communication space where you can create your own blog, a space where you may contribute to the debate on the town´s past, current issues, and the future.

The ambition of the „Kladno Past“ is to become a local community project that may appeal to all Kladno residents who have an interest in the past and future of their town.

Datum: 2.1.2008