The European Sword
An exhibition on the symbolism, production, and evolution of swords across the centuries
The exhibition builds on the long-standing scholarly focus of the Technical Museum in Brno on the history of ironworking and metalworking crafts. It tells the story of the long iron sword, spanning more than three thousand years, in the spirit of the motto: “Metal reflects the memory of Europe—its ingenuity, craftsmanship, and spiritual strength”.
Swords represented the pinnacle of craftsmanship in their time—their function and methods of use evolved, as did how they were perceived by society. On the one hand, they were symbols of courage, power, and justice; on the other, they were also attributes of death, war, and destruction. The European sword is proof that European culture, its knowledge, and its skills are a dynamic entity that, for much of history, has been able to remain at the forefront of development and progress from a global perspective.
The backbone of the presentation in this imaginary sword treasury consists of ten top-quality sword replicas from key periods of their development, created by Patrick Bárta, a renowned swordsmith, respected expert, conservator-restorer, and the exhibition’s initiator. He created his reconstructions of historical artifacts based on archaeological finds, the study of sources, and collaboration with colleagues from the Brno branch of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences. Bárta’s precise replicas will become a permanent part of the museum’s collections and a testament to excellent artistic craftsmanship. For the production of swords has always been closely linked to art, as well as to the magic and spiritual life of their makers and owners. The replicas are complemented by approximately fifty original swords, primarily archaeological artifacts on loan from our major museums, such as the Moravian Museum, as well as a presentation of unique swords associated with Moravian history: the two oldest surviving provincial governor’s swords and symbols of the identity and continuity of Moravian administration—the sword of Jan of Rottal from 1650 and the slightly younger so-called Kolowrat Sword, which originally belonged to František Karel Libštejnský of Kolowrat. These most significant insignia of Moravia are currently on display in castle exhibitions; the Rottal Sword is housed at the castle in Holešov, and the Kolowrat Sword is in the private collection of the family of Jan Kolowrat Krakowski and is on display in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. They will be displayed together for the first time during the first few weeks of the exhibition. It was a great honor for the TMB Conservation Methodology Center to work on the research and restoration of Jan of Rottal’s sword. The presentation in the sword treasury concludes with examples of ceremonial swords currently in use—the insignia of the University of Defense
In a space inspired by a swordsmith’s and restoration workshop, the exhibition highlights the profound influence of the ingenuity of Old World craftsmen on the refinement and characteristics of sword production, as well as on other industries. It is typical in human history that the best materials and technologies are first applied in the military. However, no innovation would have been possible without key advances in iron processing. This topic is also one of the pillars of TMB’s professional focus, which addresses it not only theoretically but also practically through experimental reconstructions and workshops at its technical heritage sites. For example, every year it organizes public demonstrations of iron production in replicas of ancient Slavic furnaces and revives traditional damascening techniques, thereby helping to convey the difficulty and sophistication of ancient crafts. The work of the TMB Conservation Methodology Center also ties into the technological and material aspects. The center’s experts utilize the results of experimental archaeology and material analyses in the care of historical swords and other weapons, which allows for a better understanding of their construction, properties, and methods of production. The exhibition thus connects the past with the present and demonstrates that the study of the sword is also a study of European technological and cultural memory.
The exhibition runs from April 15 to November 15, 2026.
The exhibition is organized in partnership with the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, and the Moravian Museum.
The exhibition is held under the patronage of Brig. Gen. Jan Farlík, Ph.D., Rector and Commander of the University of Defense.
The exhibition is held under the patronage of Jan Grolich, Governor of the South Moravian Region.
