Vilém Wünsche at the Silesian Ostrava Castle

Published: 29.4.2026

The Silesian Ostrava Castle has prepared an extraordinary exhibition of works by the painter Vilém Wünsche (1900–1984), one of the most prominent art chroniclers of the industrial Ostrava region, in the castle gallery. The exhibition takes place from April 22 to August 30 and presents a collection of paintings from a private collection. Visitors have a unique opportunity to get acquainted with a lesser-known, but exceptionally authentic part of the author's work.

Trained locksmith

Vilém Wünsche was born in 1900 in Šenov near Ostrava, into a family closely connected to the mining environment. His father worked in the Zárubek and Ludvík mines, and it was this world of the mining industry, slag-heaps and smelters that became the determining source of inspiration for his lifelong work. Unlike many artists who observed the industrial landscape from a distance, Wünsche got to know it intimately from the inside. He trained as a mine locksmith and worked directly in the mine for several years. He shared the daily rhythm of mining work, the physical exertion and the social reality of the region, which was undergoing dramatic transformation in the first half of the 20th century.

Reflection of Ostrava

Wünsche's work focused primarily on realistic depictions of miners and their work. Characteristic are his expressive drawings, emphasis on the human figure and sensitive depiction of the atmosphere. His paintings are not only an artistic interpretation of the region, but also a valuable visual document of the social and cultural history of the Ostrava region. As the exhibition curator Lukáš Czopik adds: "The exhibition is not only a demonstration of a significant figure in Czech art, but also an opportunity to reflect on the historical identity of the Ostrava region - a landscape of work, transformation and human perseverance."

Subjects of mining work

The upcoming exhibition at the Silesian Ostrava Castle offers a view of the author not only as a painter of mining work, but above all as a sensitive observer of man in the environment of modern industrial civilization. The presented set of works from a private collection allows us to look into the level of his work and raises the question of how, through painting, we can capture the experience of the region, which was a symbol of technical progress and social tension throughout the 20th century. Lukáš Czopik adds: “The exhibition is expanded with authentic objects from the mountain collection of the Ostrava Museum and from the collections of the Michal Mine, which complement the historical and material context of the exhibited paintings. Visitors can thus perceive the painter’s statement in direct confrontation with the objects of everyday mining work.”

For families with children

The Silesian Ostrava Castle also thinks of young visitors. The exhibition also includes a children’s section inspired by Vilém Wünsche's illustrator work. Younger audiences will find a selection of his illustrations and a playfully designed space that will introduce the world of mining and industrial landscapes through artistic imagination. The exhibition thus appeals to both the professional public and families with children and offers a more layered view of the legacy of the author, who remains one of the most important visual chroniclers of the region.

The exhibition is open during the opening hours of the castle, i.e. from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm as part of the regular admission fee.