Ethnographic Collection in the Concept of Contemporary Czech Museology

The submitted treatise provides an overview of current state of the concept of ethnographic collection in Czech museology, and it points to a certain mutual imbalance between the two spheres. Especially in the content-semantic realm it finds ambiguities in the basic cornerstones of the discipline − in the current terminology of the discipline and the lacking definition of the term “ethnographic collection”, which would simultaneously reflect the present-day conditions of the legislation and discipline as well as social needs. The little interest in resolving these shortcomings is illustrated with the very limited number of current professional publications which deal mainly with the theoretical basis and which would outline the conception of the further development of ethnographic museology in the Czech Republic, especially if we compare the production of similar literature from the second half of the twentieth century. The study offers a clear definition of the term “ethnographic collection”, it presents the basic terminology and reflects on possible solutions to several problematic factors. It can be seen as the first step for the mutual exchange of opinions on the further development and creation of a new theoretical and practical platform for ethnographic museology in the Czech Republic in the third millennium.