A Fascinating Folk Costume Museum 

Opened in 2021, the Muzeum Ostrov lidovych Kroju (the Museum of Folk Costume) is home to the largest private collection of traditional folk costumes in the Czech Republic. Fittingly for a museum of folk costume, the collection occupies the cowshed and stables of a beautifully restored manor house in the Central Bohemian village of Ostrov, an hour’s journey from Prague.

The museum is the work of local businessman, Jan Mičánek,  who wanted to bring traditional folk costumes from every region in the country together in one place. A map of all 124 costume regions is displayed at the entrance, along with another one documenting the disappearance of the costumes following the abolition of serfdom in 1848.  As Mičánek explained in an interview with Radio Prague International:

“The abolition of serfdom resulted in greater mobility of the inhabitants. Villagers could attend markets in town and became ashamed of their costumes. This was a process that lasted for two centuries. Gradually, traditional costumes disappeared from our countryside and ceased to be worn.”
 

The collection

The museum is home to 4,000 items of clothing, including 260 complete folk costumes displayed on mannequins, along with accessories such as bonnets, shawls, stockings and 100 pairs of shoes. There are also collections of lace, ribbons and artefacts used in the making of the costumes.

These costumes were all made to be worn, so most had to be restored before they went on show. This delicate work was done by five former teachers from the nearby village of Zbraslavice, under the supervision of the museum's curator, Jan Kuča. It is an on-going project so there is small workshop on site.

Folk costumes originated in rural areas and were usually worn on festive and ritual occasions, for church, weddings or christenings. Styles varied from region to region, depending on local customs and economies. The South Bohemian region around the town Třeboň, for example, was known for its ponds and carp breeding, so their costumes were often decorated with fish scales (which were cleaned with soda, and then ironed and cut), while cut-out embroidery thrived in the town of Tábor and can be found decorating all manner of clothing from aprons and collars to hats and scarves.

In the relatively wealthy Blatsko region of Bohemia, costumes were elaborate and included scarves embroidered with small, coloured beads rather than thread. Measuring over 2m square, these scarfs could reach weights of three kilos. Costumes from the poorer East Moravian region of Horňácko, in contrast, tend to be plain. The women didn’t wear petticoats and their skirts were made from hemp linen dyed with saffron and adorned with patterns woven to look like embroidery. 

Muzeum Ostrov lidovych Kroju offers a fascinating insight into Czech and Moravian history and culture – come and see it for yourself as part of our holiday to the Prague & Brno Patchwork Meeting 2025.