The Department of Chemical Technology for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, is a unique academic institution that integrates the natural sciences, materials engineering, conservation and restoration technology with art history and cultural heritage preservation. Since its founding, it has focused on researching the degradation processes of historical materials, developing new methods for their preservation and restoration, and training experts in the field of cultural heritage conservation and restoration. Thanks to the close integration of scientific research, teaching, and restoration practice, the institute is a unique institution not only in the Czech Republic but also in an international context.
The institute’s research activities cover a wide range of materials and technologies—from paper, wood, textiles, leather, parchment, and other natural and synthetic polymers, to stone, mortar, pigments, glass and ceramics (in collaboration with the Department of Glass and Ceramics) and metals (in collaboration with the Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering) to modern materials used in the visual arts. An integral part of the research is the development of new conservation and restoration methods, the study of material degradation mechanisms, the use of advanced analytical methods, and art-historical and technological research on cultural heritage sites. The results of this research are applied to the protection of both movable and immovable cultural heritage in collaboration with museums, galleries, archives, libraries, heritage institutions, and other specialized organizations.
The department offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs focused on the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage objects, as well as on the technology related to their conservation and restoration. Students gain not only theoretical knowledge in the fields of chemistry, materials science, and the humanities, but above all practical experience working in state-of-the-art laboratories and on real-world restoration and research projects. This prepares them for professional work in the fields of cultural heritage preservation, science, research, and specialized restoration practice.
