Life and work of Josef Suk (1874-1935)
The memorial to the composer Josef Suk (1874-1935) is located in the house where Josef Suk spent a significant part of his life.
The house was built by the composer's father in 1895 so that Josef Suk, then already a famous member of the Czech Quartet, could stay there after his demanding concert tours. Here Josef Suk took refuge in times of crises in his life, here he found peace and concentration on his compositions. Other important personalities of musical life, including Antonín Dvořák and later Václav Talich, also came to Křečovice to visit him.
Towards the end of his life, when Josef Suk no longer lived permanently in Prague but moved to Benešov, he vacated the house for the family of his son Ing. Josef Suk. After the composer's death, he established a memorial there, which he bequeathed to the state in 1951. Today, the Josef Suk Memorial is administered by the National Museum - Czech Museum of Music in Prague.
The memorial was reopened in 2008 after reconstruction. The original furniture has been preserved in two rooms. In the study there is Suk's Bösendorfer piano, a writing desk, paintings and sculptures, in the salon there is a family gallery, a collection of porcelain, medals and small objects that Josef Suk brought back as souvenirs from his travels throughout Europe. The exhibition in the remaining part of the memorial is dedicated to the Czech Quartet and Suk's compositional work. It is complemented by a screening of a short animated film.