History of Galerie Rudolfinum

The Rudolfinum building, with its unusual combination of concert hall and gallery under one roof, was built by architects Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz in the Neo-Renaissance style and inaugurated in 1885. Galerie Rudolfinum thus continues the original idea of the building as a representative place for music and visual arts.

In addition to the annual exhibitions of the Kunstverein für Böhmen, it housed primarily the collection of old art of the Society of Patriotic Friends of Art, which now forms the core of the National Gallery’s collections. In the gallery section of the Gallery of Modern Art, contemporary art was presented mainly in the form of short-term exhibitions. From the beginning of the 20th century until the First World War, this exhibition programme culminated in the presentation of many of the great names of art of the time, such as Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Pablo Picasso, André Derain, Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Paul Klee and many others.

When Czechoslovakia gained independence, the Rudolfinum became the seat of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament in 1919 and the building was adapted for this purpose. During the German Protectorate, the large concert hall was rehabilitated in 1940 and 1941 and a small concert hall was built. After 1945, musical life returned to the Rudolfinum in full, but the exhibition spaces continued to be used for other purposes – as classrooms and conservatory facilities.

In 1989–1992, the building underwent a complete overhaul and modernisation under the direction of architect Karel Prager. The exhibition spaces were mainly restored, and the gallery, now Galerie Rudolfinum, resumed its operation on 1 January 1994.

The Rudolfinum is also exceptional for its location in the very historical centre of Prague. Thanks to its proximity to the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University and the seat of the University of Arts and Crafts, the Rudolfinum is a natural part of Prague’s cultural hub.

Read more about the history of the Rudolfinum in the book Chrám umění: Rudolfinum, which you can buy in the gallery shop.