Hail Mountain!

The title of the book refers to the official greeting used by members of the Czech/Czechoslovak Tourist Club, but also to the book Naprej! Česká sportovní architektura 1567–2012. Thanks to the collaboration on this book, the author came across the extensive collection of the Czechoslovak Tourist Club, which is stored at the National Archive in Prague. Part of the collection contains detailed planning and file documentation for individual tourist buildings and unrealized projects that the club’s building commission, established in 1919, commented on. Due to the preserved projects, it is possible to reconstruct the condition of these buildings – countless of them that no longer exist or that are not discernible due to reconstruction.

The author focused mainly on elaboration of the part concerning the construction activities of the club, still limited to tourist cottages and shelters. The aim of the book is not to celebrate the Czech Tourist Club’s construction activities, but to critically evaluate its activities in the context of historical, social, and political aspects. From the inexhaustible number of shelters and cottages, she selected those that have a certain historical significance for the independent club and that are more valuable from an architectural standpoint.

Markéta Svobodová

First Edition in Czech, English summary, 243 pages, colour illustrations, Prague 2020

ISBN: 978-80-88283-47-8

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