Prague Castle Research Articles

Tensometric Measurements For Static SecuringOf Historical Buildings

Often during a reconstruction of historical buildings it is necessary to repair or replace damaged element of the structure by a new part. In such situation it is inevitable to reach a stage when the damaged part is not statically stressed. The deformation tensometric measurement was used to monitor and verify stress changes during reconstruction. Electric resistive strain gauges were glued mainly on the supporting metal structure or directly on repaired parts. In this paper some examples how this method was applied are demonstrated on the three structures: Reparation of the sandstone portal in the Prague Castle Picture Gallery Measurements of deformation changes in tensile rods for static securing of the lateral walls in the Wallenstein Palace Replacement of columns in the Czech National Bank building.

The Czechoslovak Constitution of 1960 and the Transition to Communism

QN JULY 11, 1960, in Vladislav Hall of historic Prague Castle, National Assembly ceremoniously, and unanimously, approved a new Czechoslovak constitution.' Socialism has conquered in our land, read preamble. people's democracy as a path to socialism has fully proved itself; it has led us to victory of socialism.2 The constitution of May 9, 1948, which had in its time been described as a framework for transition from capitalism to socialism, had therefore outlived its usefulness. Czechoslovakia thus became first country of communist bloc to document victody of socialism, as U.S.S.R. had done in 1936, with a constitutional charter. To lend emphasis to this achievement, state was now given title: Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (5SSR).3 The document was intended, however, not only to anchor in legal form what had already been achieved, but also to have a programmatic character. The perspective of future, as set forth in preamble, was the building of a mature socialist and the creation of material and spiritual preconditions for transition of our society to communism. Thus, Czechoslo-