BERTRAMKA

© Herbert Heissler - 18.5.2002

Classicist Villa and Summer House — National cultural monument
Villa Betramka, originally a vineyard homestead from the break of the 17th and 18th century, gained its name after one of its the first owners Bertram from Bertram. It became the summer residence in 1784 to eminent czech singer Josefína Dušková and pianist, pedagogue and composer František Xaver Dušek, who are most likely to be credited for staging Mozart's operas Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail and The Marriage of Figaro in Prague and for inviting the author to Prague. Mozart finished his greatest piece Don Giovanni in Bertramka's picturesque environment, just in time for its memorable Prague opening on October 29th 1787. Permanent exposition dedicated to W.A. Mozart and the Duseks was opened here in 1956, it describes Mozart's relationship towards Prague and the prominent personas of then rich czech cultural life.

The permanent exposition remembers the famous time in Bertramka household's history, when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dwelled here as the guest to eminent czech musicians Dušeks. This exposition, located in villa's then housing floor, contains all the gatherable tokens of W.A. Mozart and the Dušeks, especially private pieces, musical instruments, manuscripts, letters and period paintings, engravings, prints and other documents. One of the most precious exponates is the grand piano which Mozart played in january 1787 at the Noblewomen Institute in Nové Město pražské and also clavicembalo, brand Gräbner, which Mozart played during concetrs in Nosticův Palace. The lock of thirteen hairs is probably the only physical proof in the world of Mozart's existence.