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1.4.2020
Project "Toy Industry in the Ore Mountains - Two Countries - Two Paths"
The Regional Museum in Most, in cooperation with the German association Förderverein des Museums Olbernhau e.V., will map the post-war history of toy production on both sides of the Ore Mountains border over the next two years. The Ore Mountain toy is a key theme for both partners. The Most Museum, as the leading partner in this project titled "Toy Industry in the Ore Mountains - Two Countries - Two Paths," has received a grant from the cross-border cooperation program between the Czech Republic and the Free State of Saxony. The total budget of the project amounts to €237,450, of which 85% will be provided by the EU.
The project of Ore Mountain toy production aims to map and process the post-war history of wooden toy production on the Czech and Saxon sides of the Ore Mountains and present it to both experts and the general public, including school youth. Toy production, as a supplementary industry to mining and subsequently its industrial production, is part of the shared cultural heritage, and its exploration will support the inscription of the Ore Mountains Mining Landscape on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The history of German toy production has been extensively documented, but only up to 1945. Research on toy production on the Czech side is almost non-existent. No sources have been found regarding the history of the companies VERO and DEHOR. The task of this project is to fill these gaps on both sides of the border.
Currently, thorough research is underway, period items and documentation are being sought, witnesses are being located, and archives are being explored. The main outputs of the project will be a professional publication, a traveling exhibition, and a documentary film, which will also be provided to schools for teaching regional history. The greater popularization of the topic of Ore Mountain toy production will be supported by the project's website and Facebook pages, where updates will be regularly published.
As stated by the director of the Most Museum, Mgr. Michal Soukup, the project is being realized at the last minute, as the last witnesses are of advanced age and are quickly leaving us. Without their testimonies, we would not gain a comprehensive view of this issue. Therefore, we ask both the general and expert public, especially witnesses, to contact us if they can provide us with items, machines, and equipment related to toy production in the Ore Mountains. We also welcome testimonies in the form of personal memories. Do you have old unused wooden toys in your attic and would like to help the project? Offer them to the Regional Museum in Most.