Czech Museum Unveils Extensive Hat Collection

The Museum of Nový Jičín opened an exhibition of hats at Kunín Castle in the Czech Republic. The display features 150 pieces from the museum’s collection of 385 hats, the largest of its kind in the country.

The collection originated after World War II as part of the textile funds of nationalized aristocratic estates gathered at Jemniště Castle. The hats were later rescued from potential destruction when the Museum of Social Culture prioritized a Czechoslovak-Soviet friendship exhibit.

The Tonak Nový Jičín company museum preserved the hats, and now the Kunín Castle exhibition aims to showcase this overlooked aristocratic history. Curators have identified the original owners of nearly all the hats, which come from 53 different castles including those belonging to the Liechtenstein, Žerotín, Metternich, and Waldstein families. The exhibition, titled “With a Hat on the Castle,” will run until the end of October.