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„ZAŘÍZENÍ, KTERÁ SE V ČSR DOSUD NIKDY NEVYRÁBĚLA“: K TECHNICKÉMU ZÁZEMÍ MAUZOLEA KLEMENTA GOTTWALDA

JAN FRIŠHONS
Pages 69–90
Citation FRIŠHONS, JAN . „ZAŘÍZENÍ, KTERÁ SE V ČSR DOSUD NIKDY NEVYRÁBĚLA“: K TECHNICKÉMU ZÁZEMÍ MAUZOLEA KLEMENTA GOTTWALDA. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia. Prague: National Museum, 2014, 68(1-2), 69–90. ISSN 2570-6845 (print), 2570-6853 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/amnph/68-1-2/zarizeni-ktera-se-v-csr-dosud-nikdy-nevyrabela-k-technickemu-zazemi-mauzolea-klementa-gottwalda
Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia | 2014/68/1-2

“Devices Which Have Never Been Produced in Czechoslovakia Before”: On the Technical Facilities of the Klement Gottwald Mausoleum. The present paper focuses on one of the most enigmatic aspects of a Communist mausoleum – the technical equipment necessary for the maintenance of constant conditions as required by Soviet experts. The mausoleum of Klement Gottwald was fitted with a number of complex appliances, e. g., the automatically controlled air-conditioning system which ensured the constant temperature of 16 ˚C and humidity of 75 %. Some of the devices had to be devised and produced as prototypes, for Czechoslovak industry did not have any experience with the machinery and appliances used to keep a leader’s body in perfect state of preservation. Since the construction and supplies of all the special equipment was the responsibility of the Ministry of National Defence, piles of documents complying with the custom of the military to record each and every detail are preserved in Czech archives along with meticulous architectonic and technical designs. These hitherto untapped sources permit that the key phases of the construction, tests, early operation and particularly the crucial technical facilities of the Prague mausoleum be described with precision for the first time. All specifications of the main appliances are included in this study so that their function in the upkeep of the leader’s remains be better understood.

ISSN_0036-5335_1-2_2014_pp_69–90.pdf