The Story of Hana Volavková (1904–1985)
The Story of Hana Volavková (1904–1985)

Summary/Abstract: The distinguished art historian and museologist Hana Volavková was born into a man’s world. She came to terms with this fact in a refined way – with talent, hard work and presence of mind, she gained respect and recognition from her colleagues. Nevertheless, the progressions of her professional life was full of obstacles, for she did not connect a career in art history with any art museum or gallery where she could have made practical use of her abundant knowledge and abilities, or with an academic or university workplace where she could have developed her research activity or educate students. She remains, however, a respected figure among art historians to this day. Rather than focusing on art in the narrow sense of the word, she devoted a considerable part of her professional life to the Jewish Museum in Prague, one of the most unique museums in the world, initially as a curator, later as a rescuer and finally as its director for many years. Her work at the museum, however, had an intensely bitter-sweet quality to it, which is all the more reason to praise the devotion and persistence with which Hana Volavková applied herself to her task.

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