Research, protection, and possibilities of re-use of post-war industrial heritage in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Buildings of an industrial nature dated from the 1950s through '80s are often quite interesting from the standpoint of typology, architecture and technology, and correspond to the development of technological industrial efforts of that era. Still, they sit on the periphery of professional interest, in both the Czech Republic and abroad. The topic of industrial architecture which existed by the 1950s is already positioned in the professional spheres on the research and protection of industrial heritage, as well as the methodological development of industrial heritage. Industrial archaeology usually deals only with the industrialization period, and at the same time is difficult for contemporary researchers to postpone the debate forward. Our contemporary research thus plays very important role in evaluation of a typical and atypical examples of industrial buildings of that time. We continually lose many iconic buildings as well as a strata of historical culture as efforts are ongoing to determine both the ways we can protect this portion of industrial heritage and detail the problems that emerge in efforts to reuse it.