Czech Footprint in the History of Computer Science

Exhibition at the National Technical Museum in Prage

The exhibition Česká stopa v historii výpočetní techniky was created as one of the outputs of a project funded by the Ministry of Culture under NAKI II. called Century of information: the world of informatics and electrical engineering - the computer world in us. One of the contributors on the project is our renowned scientist Boženka Mannová from our department.

About the exhibition

This unique exhibition is divided into three parts. The first section titled From abacus to smartphone deals with the general development of computer technology in the world, the second part Czechoslovak Computer School presents the development of Czechoslovak computer technology tied mainly to Antonín Svoboda and the Research Institute of Mathematical Machines and emphasizes the Czech / Czechoslovak contributions to the development of information technologies. In the third section called Microcomputers and the Internet, the visitor will find a selection of domestic microcomputers, especially in the 1980s, with the opportunity to try period computer games and learn where the Czech footprint in the field of information technology is evident in today's world. The end of the exhibition briefly acquaints the visitor with the phenomenon of the Internet and leads him to a deeper reflection on what an amazing technological leap the field of information technology has experienced in the last 60 years and what are his other perspectives.

The project commemorates the 40th anniversary of the death of Antonín Svoboda, the founder of computer science in Czechoslovakia and director of the Research Institute of Mathematical Machines, and the 70th anniversary of the modern establishment of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering CTU.

The exhibition started on November 25, 2020 and runs until May 9, 2021. Because galleries and museums in the Czech Republic are currently closed due to the COVID19 pandemic, the organizers prepared a virtual tour of the exhibition. Enjoy!