Záhorie Museum, Skalica
The Záhorie Museum, Skalica is a regional museum with a special focus on the Záhorie region.
The museum is housed in Skalica Culture House (Catholic House), a striking Secession building dating from 1905 which ranks among the most interesting in Skalica. The idea of building the culture house was inspired by Dr Pavol Blaho, a fervent patriot born in Skalica, and brought to fruition within the framework of the local Catholic Circle. Designed by Dušan Jurkovič, a well-known architect of the day, its style displays a heavy folkloric influence. As in Martin, the centre featured club rooms, a library and a theatre.
From the outset several rooms were designed to house the folkloric and ethnographical collections of Dr Blaho, and these inspired the idea of founding a full-blown museum. In 1952 the centre became home to the Homeland Museum, and after the territorial reorganisation of 1960, it functioned as the Municipal Museum at Skalica until 1965, with exhibitions of nature, archaeology, ethnography and early and modern history. It acquired its present name and regional competence in 1965.
On the occasion of its centenary in September 2005, the Záhorie Regional Museum opened a new permanent exhibition on the first floor of the building consisting of ethnographic, archaeological and historical sections (including the history of literature, religious life, noble entrepreneurs in Záhorie). There is also a fine art gallery featuring the work of local Skalica painter Július Koreszka (1895–1958) as well as other masterpieces depicting the history of Skalica, the natural beauty of its surroundings and its social life.
The facade of the Culture House is decorated with mosaic work comprising sketches by Czech painter Mikoláš Aleš, and the walls and house curtain in the Theatre Hall are adorned with figure paintings by Jozef Úprka and Antoš Frolka. The building is a now a National Cultural Monument. The museum's workplaces are now located in the neighbouring building, known as Mittak House.
The Záhorie Museum, Skalica administers the following satellites:
