Czech Deaf: The Exhibition

The Czech Deaf: 1814–2014 exhibition has moved to the Faculty of Arts, main building, nám. J. Palacha 2, 4th floor, outside the rooms P421 and P422.

The exhibition outlines Deaf culture and history to the general public. Following a brief introduction about the Czech Deaf community, it presents five personalities (both hearing and Deaf) who influenced the community and whose jubilees are celebrated this year.

Václav Frost (200 years birth anniversary) – 19th century: director of the Prague Institute for the Deaf-Mute.

Karel Výmola (150 years birth anniversary) – eminent otologist, contributed to foundation of the First Czech Institute for the Deaf-Mute in Prague in 1915 (it was the second institute for the Deaf-Mute in Prague but the first one to teach solely in Czech, not in German).

František Kudyn (150 years birth anniversary) – Deaf teacher in the Prague Institute for the Deaf-Mute (1896–1934), published articles in standard press as well as magazines for the Deaf.

Mobi Urbanová (100 years birth anniversary) – Deaf dancer and dance teacher of Deaf children; the exhibition offers one-minute footage of her 1928 dance performance.

Josef Zeman (100 years birth anniversary) – “king” of interpreters for the Deaf; the exhibition offers one-minute footage of his interpreting during the closing ceremony of the 1955 First Czechoslovak Deaf Spartakiad in Gottwaldov.


The exhibition, with the particular focus on the priest Václav Frost, was covered by the TV Club for the Deaf on 29/10/2014. It may be viewed here.

The exhibition consists of 8 panels in Czech and English. The individual panels in Czech and in English (in the pdf format) may be viewed here.

The exhibition was also supplemented with guides in the Czech Sign Language and in the International Sign. The translation videos will be published on this website shortly. The exhibition is thus available in four languages.

The vernissage took place on Tuesday 26/08/2014 within the CISL 2014 International Summer School. Upon conclusion of the exhibition in the FA lobby, the panels were placed to the Jan Palach Library and, as of December 2014, they have been installed permanently at the Faculty of Arts, main building, nám. J. Palacha 2, 4th floor, outside the rooms P421 and P422.

The exhibition was prepared by the Institute of Deaf Studies, CUFA, namely by Mgr. Radka Nováková in cooperation with Bc. Petr Pánek, Bc. Karel Redlich and Dr. Andrea Hudáková.

Vernissage videos were prepared by Kamil Panský. Thank you!

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