On Saturday, May 16, 2026, the festive opening of the exhibition HURVÍNEK *1926 – FOREVER took place at Muzeum Cheb… This happened as part of the 22nd year of the Festival of Museum Nights. The exhibition commemorates one hundred years since the creation of one of the most famous Czech puppets. It also tells the life story of its creator, puppeteer and carver Gustav Nosek (1887–1974), a close collaborator and friend of Josef Skupa, who lived and worked in Cheb in the 1960s and 70s.
"We want to connect tradition with modern form and appeal to families with children, as well as visitors from abroad. The exhibition is fully bilingual and visitors will get to experience what it’s like to be a puppeteer, or hear Spejbl and Hurvínek in various languages," says Mgr. Michal Beránek, head of the expert department of Muzeum Cheb. The exhibition offers a number of interactive elements bringing Hurvínek closer even to generations who do not commonly encounter him anymore. It also includes a short introductory film in which this iconic character guides visitors through places in Cheb associated with the name Gustav Nosek.
As part of the exhibition, there will be guided tours and educational programs for schools. "School children and preschoolers can make their own simple puppet, and high school students will learn how it was possible that on New Year's Eve 1944, a nearly two-hour performance of Hurvínek and Spejbl in Prison was played through the cell doors in the Dresden prison on Mathildenstraße," adds museum educator Jan Charvát.
Want to learn more? Want to participate in one of our workshops? Choose one of the dates below:
June 11, 2026 from 5:00 PM guided tour of the exhibition in Czech
July 18, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM workshop Puppeteer's Workshop from 2:00 PM guided tour of the exhibition in Czech from 3:00 PM guided tour of the exhibition in German
August 27, 2026 from 5:00 PM guided tour of the exhibition in Czech
September 19, 2026 from 3:00 PM guided tour of the exhibition in German
October 11, 2026 Exhibition closing day from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM workshop Puppeteer's Workshop from 2:00 PM guided tour of the exhibition in Czech
The project was created in cooperation with the Mitteldeutsches Marionettentheatermuseum in Bad Liebenwerda, Brandenburg, and shows that Czech and Slovak puppetry – inscribed in 2016 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO) – is a living tradition that naturally transcends national borders.
The exhibition was supported by the Czech-German Future Fund.
HURVÍNEK *1926 – FOREVER
Ends in 16 days
