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The hall of the main staircase is the central area of the entire building from the architectural point of view. Its height covers the ground floor as well as the 1st and the 2nd floors. The periphery is created by strips of arcades one above the other. The front and rear flights of stairs leading from the groundfloor to the central landing are narrowing towards upstairs, four flights leading to the gallery of the 1st floor are widening. The landing seems to be optically higher looking up from the groundfloor while looking down from the 1st floor it seems to be lower and so the space of the hall seems to be deeper.
The staircase has the upper lighting through the glazed ceiling which is hanged on the upper steel construction. Original glasses (today replaced with sheets of plexiglass) were frosted and cut (supplied by Čeněk Branberger in 1890) and were ornamentally decorated by Wilhelm Ladewig. The painted decoration of the vaulted sectors of the strip under the glazed ceiling was made by Rudolf Řihovský at the beginning of 1881. The individual parts of the staircase are of natural marbles (supplied in the years 1888 and 1889 by the Kiefer firm of Oberalm) and of artificial marbles (Giacomo Enzio, 1889). The landing of marble slabs was made, as in the vestibule, by Giovanni Ciani in 1890. The brass tree candelabras were made according to Schulz's designs in Prague Municipal Gas Works at the turn of 1890 and 1891.
The landing is decorated by other two Schwanthaler's statues. On the left there is the Czech Queen Eliška Přemyslovna (“ELISABETHA REGINA”, lived in the years 1292-1330 and was the last woman of the Premyslide dynasty, wife of John of Luxemburg and mother of Charles IV.). Her statue, made exactly according to the preserved bust in the triforium of St Vitus, was cast in Munich in 1847. Opposite her there stands the statue of Jiří of Poděbrady (“GEORGIUS REX”, 1420-1471, ruled from 1458, was one of the greatest politicians in Europe at that time), cast in 1850 according to a model from the years 1846-48.
In the gussets (triangular spaces) above the arches of the arcades of the 1st floor there are a total
of 32 circular plaster medallions with portraits of the most important rulers of the Kingdom of
Bohemia. The medallions are bordered with oak and laurel branches in stucco. Plaster medallions
modelled in I889 by Antonín Popp were originally considered to be a temporary decoration but they
have not been made in any better material. In the case of the earlier rulers these are, of course, fictitious
portraits meeting the ideals of Late Romanticism. Starting with the left side of the hall from left to right,
the following rulers (with chronological deviation in the order) are introduced:
1. Vratislav II. (named as “Vratislav I.”, ruled in 1061 - 1092, first as the prince, from 1085 as the king Vratislav I.)
2. Vladislav II. (“Vladislav”, ruled in 1140 - 1172, first as the prince, from 1158 the king)
3. Václav I. (“Vácslav I.” - ruled in 1230 - 1253)
4. Přemysl I. (1197 - 1230, first the prince, from 1198 the king)
5. Přemysl Otakar II. (“Přemysl II.” - 1253 - 1278)
6. Václav II. (“Vácslav II.” - 1278-1305)
7. Václav III. (“Vácslav III.” - 1305-1306)
8. Rudolf I. Hapsburg (“Rudolf I.” - 1306-1307)
9. Jindřich of Korutany(“Jindřich” - 1306 a 1307-1310)
10. Jan of Luxemburg (“Jan” - 1310-1346)
11. Karel IV. (“Karel I.” - 1346-1378)
12. Václav IV. (“Vácslav IV.” - 1378-1419)
13. Zikmund of Luxemburg (“Sigmunt”- 1436-1437)
14. Ladislav the Posthumous (“Ladislav”- 1453-1457)
15. Jiři of Poděbrady (“Jiři”- 1458-1471)
16. Vladislav II. Jagellonian (“Vladislav II.” - 1471-1516)
11. Ludvík Jagellonian (“Ludvík”- 1516-1526)
18. Ferdinand I. of Hapsburg (“Ferdinand I.” - 1526-1564)
19. Maxmilián II. (“Maximilian” - 1564-1576)
20. Rudolf II. (1576-1611)
21. Matyáš (1611-1619)
22. Ferdinand II. (1619 and 1620-1637)
23. Ferdinand III. (1637-1657)
24. Ferdinand IV. (crowned the Czech king in 1646 but he did not start his rule because of his early death in 1654)
25. Leopold I. (1657-1705)
26. Josef I. (1705-1711)
27. Karel VI. (“Karel II.” - 1711-1740)
28. Marie Terezie (1740-1780)
29. Josef II. (1780-1790)
30. Leopold II. (1790-1792)
31. František I. (1792-1835)
32. Ferdinand V. (1835-1848)
At the level of the 2nd floor there are on bases around the hall of the staircase bronze busts of men
who served the Museum. There are 17 of them in all, 16 of which were acquired in the years 1897 to
1901 and the last of which (Frič) was not acquired until 1932. Starting on the left-hand side of the
arcade these busts are, from left to right:
I. Antonín Frič (1832-1913), university professor, an important naturalist, zoologist and
palaeontologist. He worked in the Museum as a custodian of a zoological collection, he founded a
geological-palaeontological department whose director he became in 1880. He gifted a valuable
ornithological collection to the Museum.
Václav Markup (retouched bust by Bohumil Kafka), 1932, cast by Franta Anýž. Exposed
21. 9. 1932 on Frič's anniversary.
II. Franz Xaver Maxmilian Zippe (1791-1863), professor of mineralogy, founder
and curator of the mineralogical collections of the Museum.
Bohumil Vlček, 1899-1900, cast by the firm Bendelmayer and Červenka.
III. Josef Koch-Kaňka (1812-1863), Czech patriot and collector, bequeathed to
the Museum a rare library and over 70,000 engravings.
Bohumil Vlček, 1900, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1901, placed on 18. 6. 1901.
IV. Jan Erazim Vocel (18011-1871), I. university professor, founder of Czech archaeology
and art historian, voluntary organiser of the archaeological collections of the Museum, co-editor the
Magazine of the Museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Čeněk Vosmík, 1900, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1901, placed on 18. 6. 1901.
V. Jan Krejčí (1825-1887), university professor, naturalist and geologist, administrator of
the mineralogical collections of the Museum.
Čeněk Vosmík, 1900, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1901, placed on 18. 6. 1901.
VI. Joachim Barrande (1799-1883), geologist, founder of Czech palaeontology (his
specialisation is reminded on the base on two ribbons with a picture of a trilobite “Paradoxides bohemicus”
and with an old name of a primitive fern of Middle Devonian “Hostinella hostinensis” which can be found
in the area of so called Barrandien. He bequeathed to the Museum his large and valuable collection of
fossils, library and a considerable amount of money.
Bohuslav Schnirch, 1900, cast by the firm Bendelmayer and Červenka.
VII. Hanuš (Jan Karel) Maecenas of Czech culture, co-founder of the Museum, important
supporter of Matice česká. His and his father's merits concerning the museum library are reminded on
the base with a book with inscriptions “MVSED NATIONALI BOHEMICO” (To the Czech National
Museum) and “CATALOGVS BIBLIOTHECAE” (The Catalogue of the Library).
Bohuslav Schnirch, 1900, cast by the firm Bendelmayer and Červenka.
VIII.František Antonín, Count Kolovrat Libštejnský (1778 - 1861), the supreme
Czech burgrave, co-founder of the Museum (his foundation role is symbolised with a bricklayer's
hammer on the front side of the base), he bequeathed to the Museum a library of 35,000 volumes.
Antonín Popp, 1896, cast by Václav Mašek in 1897 as the first bust for the main staircase.
IX. František, Count Klebelsberk (1774 - 1857), co-founder of the Museum, author of
its first Statutes.
Antonín Popp, 1896, cast by Václav Mašek in 1897.
X. František Josef, Count Šternberk-Manderscheid (1763 - 1830), Maecenas of the arts,
co-founder of the Museum. By the gift of his extensive and valuable collections of coins and
medals he laid the foundations for the numismatic collections of the Museum.
Antonín Popp, 1896, cast by Václav Mašek in 1897.
XI. Václav Leopold Chlumčanský of Přestavlky and Clumčany (1749 - 1829), Archbishop
of Prague, co-founder of the Museum to which he bequeathed his large and valuable library.
Antonín Popp, 1896, cast by Václav Mašek in 1897.
XII. Josef Maria, Count Kolovrat Krakovský (1746 - 1824), gifted to the Museum the very valuable
library from the chateau of Březnice containing some rare manuscripts.
Bohuslav Schnirch), 1898, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1899.
XIII. Antonín Veith (1793-1853), rich farmer from Liběchov, educated patriot,
Maecenas of many scientists and artists. He bequeathed to the Museum eight Schwanthaler's
statues from his planned Slavín.
Bohuslav Schnirch, 1898, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1899.
XIV. Jan Svatopluk Pres1 (1791-1849), university professor,
founder of Czech botany, one of the first scientific co-workers of the Museum.
Stanislav Sucharda, 1898, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1899.
XV. Jan Norbert, Knight of Neuberk (1796 - 1859), archaeologist, a member
and in 1850-52 the President of the Committee of the Museum Society, curator of
Matice česká. He bequeathed an extensive library to the Museum.
Stanislav Sucharda, 1898, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1899.
XVI. Rudolf, Prince Kinský (1802 - 1836), scholar of Czech history, supporter of
Palacký, Čelakovský and Šafařík. By considerable investment he made the foundation of
Matice česká (the fund for publishing Czech scientific literature) possible and he became
its first curator.
Stanislav Sucharda, 1899, cast by the firm Bendelmayer and Červenka in 1899.
XVII. Václav Hanka (1791-1861), first librarian of the Museum and custodian of
historical collections. Was responsible for the lively contacts of the Museum with scientists in
many Slavonic countries.
Stanislav Sucharda, 1900, cast by the firm Komárovské železárny in 1901,
placed on 18. 6. 1901.
Some more busts were considered to be placed above the staircase: the bust of
Josef Michael Fesl (1788 - 1864), patriotic preacher, Bolzano's follower, donator
of a valuable library, the bust of Jan Vilém Helfer (+ 1840), naturalist and traveller,
whose collection of insects and plants was gifted to the Museum by his widow, the
bust of Jan, Count Harrach (1828 - 1909), Czech patriot, curator of Matice česká
and President of the Museum Society. Fesl's bust was not ordered at all for unknown
reasons and Helfer's bust was to be created by Sucharda in 1899 but no Helfer's
portrait was found. The model for Harrach's bust was made by Bohumil Kafka in
1910 but it is not certain if it was cast in bronze. According to the report of Muzejník
from the year 1911 “Harrach's bust already decorates the Museum gallery in these days”.
However, we do not know if it was a bronze bust or only a patina plaster model because
its further lot is not known. Therefore three pedestals above the staircase have been
empty until now.