Main building in Košice

The underground exhibition of the museum is the work of the prominent academic sculptor Árpád Raček. It is uniquely constructed from quarried rocks. Visitors will be captivated by the realistic reinforced galleries with dioramas of the faces. The real surprises are especially the mining machines: the NL 12 bucket loader from 1958, the Manda drilling truck, the functional scraper winch, the single-arm drilling machine from the manufacturer Salzgitter Maschinen AG from 1957 and the mining carts. Visitors underground will also experience the working noise of the rake conveyor from 1957.

The Mining Exhibition built in the underground of the museum was designed as a real mining environment. The entrance portals, bearing the names of personalities of the Štiavnica mining tradition: Jozef Karol HELL (1713 ‒ 1789) and Krištof Traugott DELIUS (1728 ‒ 1779), symbolize the mouths of the mine galleries. The entrance area of ​​the exhibition is dedicated to the issue of lighting underground mines and the oldest working tools for breaking up rock and bringing it to the surface. The light map shows the locations of deep mining of ores, non-ores, coal, oil and gas in Slovakia. In the exhibition, the visitor will get acquainted with various types of protection of underground mines against collapse, as well as the function and operation of machines for basic work operations: drilling and blasting, loading and extraction. The authors of the exhibition did not neglect the problem of ventilation of underground mines. The original atmosphere is enhanced by samples of useful minerals from the deposits of the Spiš-Gemerské Ore Mountains inserted into the faces of simulated mining galleries.
At the beginning of the underground part of the exhibition, a wall face of manganese ore mining in the Kišovce – Švábovce area is shown. This is followed by an adit with wooden reinforcement, ending with a face with the mineralogical composition of the copper ore deposit in Slovinky and a NL 12 bucket loader from 1958. Another mining work is secured with TH steel reinforcement (Toussaint ‒ Heintzmann), the face is made of magnesite-dolomitic carbonates from the deposit near Košice, and a Manda drilling vehicle is installed here, experimentally deployed in the 1950s.
In another face planted with magnesite, the issue of basic mechanization of the extraction of cut rock is presented. The installed scraper winch is shown to visitors in working condition. The working atmosphere of the mining environment is also brought closer by the lowering of the rake conveyor from 1957. In addition, the originals of the basic development types of mining trucks are presented on the topic of horizontal transport.
The front of the last gallery is made up of a diverse composition of minerals from the Rudňany iron ore deposit. The machinery here is a single-arm drilling machine, a product of the Salzgitter Maschinen AG company from 1957, which was used in addition to mining work also in quarries and tunneling.

In the historical part of the exhibition you will learn about the history of metallurgy and its main stages of development from prehistoric times to the 18th century. Among the most interesting are discoveries in ironmaking, the production of non-ferrous metals, foundry and metal forming, and significant milestones in the development of metallurgy in Slovakia. You will also be interested in the production of Hámorník, which is strongly connected with the region of Slovakia. You can touch the rare bronze doors from 1580.

The content of the historical part of the exhibition is divided into five thematic units from prehistoric times: Copper metallurgy, Non-ferrous metal metallurgy, Bell casting, Iron metallurgy and Production of Hámorník. In the exhibition, visitors will be interested in a model of the so-called Slovak furnace, which points to an important period in iron technology in the 14th century, when furnaces began to be introduced in the valleys of the Spiš-Gemerský Ore Mountains together with hammers using water wheels to drive blowers and hammers. The centuries-old traditions of bronze casting in Slovakia with important medieval bell casting centers are presented, and the Košice bell casting foundry of the Buchner brothers is presented. Nižný Medzev holds a special place in the history of bell casting in Slovakia, where agricultural tools were produced for centuries, which is also presented in the exhibition by a model of a two-focus hammer with a hammer and a water wheel.

The visitor's attention in the exhibition is drawn to one of the most precious exhibits - a bronze Renaissance door from 1580. This is a unique example of artistic bronze casting. A single-leaf door in the Renaissance style, decorated with motifs from the festivals of the god Dionysus with a Latin inscription: "Claudite iat rivos sat prata liberunt Anno MDLXXX". The uniqueness of the exhibit is enhanced by the fact that the bronze door was cast in one piece.

You will be amazed by the historical development of metallurgy in the 19th and 20th centuries, also in the context of the industrial revolution, technical innovations in ironmaking, important figures in the history of Slovak metallurgy, and monuments of ironmaking and technology in the field. You will understand the process of ironmaking in a demonstration on a unique model of a blast furnace. On an electronic model, you will learn about the production program of the metallurgical plant.

The exhibition presents thematic units to visitors: Iron metallurgy in the process of the industrial revolution 1830 - 1880, technical innovations in the iron industry during the industrial revolution, iron metallurgy in Slovakia in the process of the industrial revolution, iron metallurgy in the years 1880 - 1918, later in the period 1918 - 1945, and in the years 1945 - 2005. The visitor will become familiar with the production of ferroalloys, the production of non-ferrous metals, with important figures in the history of Slovak metallurgy, as well as with monuments of iron production and technology in the field. The territory of today's Slovakia was the main iron region of Hungary. The exhibition also presents the history of non-ferrous metal production in Slovakia: production of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel, lead, mercury, manganese... Attention is paid to pioneers who contributed to the development of the Slovak ironworks. Among the tangible exhibits in the exhibition, the blower from 1717, tools from foundries and rolling mills will be of interest. The visitor will also be attracted by a unique model of a blast furnace, as well as a model of the production program of the metallurgical plant.

The museum's undercroft exhibits forged objects of both utility and artistic nature. Knowledge and skill in iron processing were in the past a measure of the sophistication and wealth of society. In the collection of over 100 exhibits, it is possible to admire the craftsmanship associated with stylistic influences and the creative technical thinking of master blacksmiths.

Very few monuments have been preserved from the Romanesque period. Artistic wrought iron reached its peak in the Gothic period (12th to 15th centuries). A rare example is the wrought Gothic door from the Lele Monastery. The Renaissance is represented by wrought doors with characteristic Renaissance ornaments and original locks, and a skylight grille. The patterns of the Renaissance period were slowly pushed out, and a new Baroque period began (16th to 18th centuries). The visitor's attention is drawn to a forged decorative stylized scene - an oak tree with a snake, symbolizing the biblical motif of sin, from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Details of lattices, signboards with the emblems of individual guilds, and grave crosses are exhibited. Objects of another decoratively playful style are placed on the walls - Rococo as well as later Classicism. The Art Nouveau period is most richly represented. From a set of about twenty Art Nouveau forged ornaments, lattices, and locks, two functional forged chandeliers stand out, one of which comes from the Košice workshop of the Buchner brothers. The perfect execution of modern art is documented by the lattice of the blacksmith Jozef Lačný from Košice, decorated with ornamental patterns from various stylistic periods.

The exhibition offers a rich collection of monuments of craftsmanship and art of metalworking masters. Cast iron stoves, sewing machines, irons, scales and weights, chests, mills, bells... The activities of an artistic locksmith, blacksmith and bell-caster are documented. You will also be interested in the unique forged clockwork from the tower of the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth in Košice.

Mining and metallurgy in Slovakia reached its peak on a global scale in the 18th century. Technical progress was mainly influenced by the Banská Štiavnica Academy (1763). The exceptional importance of this first technical university is presented in the exhibition, for example. merit medals, laboratory instruments, tools used in testing ores and metals and a rare mining and metallurgical manual from 1775.
On the basis of developed metallurgical production, metalworking crafts also developed, they began to be associated in guilds from the second half of the 14th century, as evidenced by statutes, guild charters and guild seals. The oldest and most widespread was blacksmithing, which was gradually specified into separate crafts, e.g.: locksmithing, cutlery, goldsmithing, bell-making, farriery, needlework and others. The exhibition presents utilitarian objects: cast iron stoves, sewing machines, irons, scales and weights, chests, mills, bells... The work of the artistic locksmith, blacksmith and bell-maker Alexander Buchner, owner of the first iron-working company founded in 1899 in Košice, is also documented. The exhibition presents masterful products from his workshops, such as a forged sideboard, company signs in the form of dragons, and bell-making templates. Figural and animal sculptures are the work of the Košice blacksmith Gabriel Nemčík, representing contemporary artistic and craft creation using traditional blacksmithing techniques. Visitors will be impressed by the sculpture of justice with attributes symbolizing justice and punishment, the woodcarving of a table with motifs of blacksmiths and mining "permoník", the forged clockwork from the tower of the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth in Košice from 1840.

Visitors will be interested in unusual surveying instruments, astrolabes, sextants, compasses and theodolites. Also unique is a replica of the Dioptra of Hero of Alexandria (1st century BC), the oldest measuring instrument used in surveying. Also on display are objects made by the prominent Slovak railway surveyor Karol Hynie (1903 – 1964), who was also a professional employee of the Slovak Technical Museum.

The exhibition of geodesy and cartography presents the development of surveying and the representation of the earth's surface. The introduction is devoted to an overview of the historical development of length, area and angle measures. The establishment of the legal length measure – the meter, in 1799 in France, laid the foundations for uniform measurement. On the topic of height measurement, the exhibition displays a replica of the so-called Dioptra of Hero of Alexandria from the 1st century BC. n. l. It is the oldest measuring instrument used in surveying.
Of the most widespread measuring instruments, the exhibition displays measuring chains and nails, which began to be used at the end of the 16th century, as well as simple tools for estimating distances, measuring instruments, various types of plumb lines and spirit levels. Also on display are protractor mirrors, prisms, prism crosses, angle heads, astrolabes, sextants, compasses, theodolites, various types of stands for geodetic instruments, and measuring tables. The first official (military) mapping of the territory of Slovakia, the so-called Josephine (completed during the reign of Joseph II.), took place in 1769 and 1782 - 1784.
Another interesting topic that the exhibition deals with is tachymetry (speed measurement) - its development, o. i. also prompted by the construction of railways in the mid-19th century, is attributed to the designer of the first tachymeter in 1839, an Italian surveyor and optician named Ignazio Porro. The exhibition also displays objects made by the prominent Slovak railway surveyor Ing. Karol Hynie (1903 – 1964), who was also a specialist at our museum from 1959 to 1963, such as a Meopta field drawing table branded Hynie, a model and anaglyph of the High Tatras from the first half of the 20th century.
Visitors will also be attracted by cartographic works, the rarest of which are originals or exact replicas: a globe made by Johann Gabriel Doppelmayer from 1728, a map of the free royal city of Košice by author Josef Homolka from 1869, a map of Nitra County by Samuel Mikovíni from 1742, a plastic blind map of Europe from 1963. Among the new cartographic works, the multimedia Atlas of the Slovak Republic is presented.

At the headquarters of the Slovak Technical Museum in Košice, we are bringing to the public an exhibition representing the 200-year development of electrical engineering. The electrical engineering collection occupies an extremely important place in the structure of the museum's collection. With a number of 3,630 collection items, it is one of the largest and is divided into two groups, namely general electrical engineering and communication technology, in which low-current and high-current technology, computing technology, measurement technology, as well as household electrical appliances are abundantly represented. The exhibition, covering an area of ​​140 m², is divided into 13 thematic units and contains more than 360 exhibits that are definitely not to be missed in a comprehensive exhibition on electrical engineering – The Beginnings of Electricity, Second Chance – Components and Assemblies Used in Electrical Equipment, Slovak or rather World Celebrities – Jozef Murgaš and Štefan Anián Jedlík, Lighting Technology, Telegraphs and Telephones, Phonographs and Gramophones, Tape Recorders and Video Technology, Radio Receivers, Television Technology, Computing Technology, DC Motors, Home Appliances and Measuring Instruments.

The exhibition "Electrical Engineering - 200 Years of Electrical Engineering" presents visitors with collection items documenting the development of science, production, technology and industry in the context of the development of electrical engineering in the territory of the state units that in the past included present-day Slovakia, i.e. Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the Slovak Republic from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century. The aim of selecting items for the exhibition was to show visitors unique, interesting and rare collection items from the entire collection of electrical engineering from the STM collection fund. To provide foreign visitors with collection items that they are unlikely to find when visiting a technical museum in their home country. To remind older domestic visitors of the electrical equipment they may have worked with or participated in their production. To show younger visitors, living in the era of Chinese products, that many everyday electrical devices were developed and manufactured in our territory, whether for use at work or at home. Among the exhibits presented, attention will certainly be drawn to the Volta pillar, advertising samples of electrical cables, Jedlík's electromagnetic rotor, a light bulb with the logo of the Iglovská power plant, the Enigma encryption machine, the first Art Deco telephone, the Spartakiad GE 5 gramophone, the only Czechoslovak Paratus cord phone, a laser disc player, the Slovak national receiver Telefunken 143GW, the first Czechoslovak television TESLA, Czechoslovak-made computers, the GANZ DC motor, the multidirectional frame antenna or the Szvetics resistance decade.

In the exhibition you will get an overview of the development of physics in our territory, about Slovak and world personalities of physics, as well as about various physical instruments. The exhibition introduces visitors to the 500-year journey of physics in Slovakia. It maps universities and upper secondary schools, their teachers, and provides information about professors and scientists from Slovakia who have enriched world science and technology.
The exhibition is also dedicated to physical measuring and demonstration instruments, with their classification corresponding to the time when they were first constructed and used. Measurements of length and weight belong to the oldest measuring techniques, from a large number of different measuring instruments we mention the rare apothecary scales with a pearl on a pendulum (1790, A. Kunn, Vienna) and cabinet standard scales (1873).
The history of universities in Slovakia began with the Academia Istropolitana in Bratislava (1467 − 1490) and this period is complemented by a sundial, Copernicus's work "De revolutionibus ...", a facsimile of the manuscript of Copernicus's work from 1566, as well as a copy of the armillary sphere (unknown author, 1580). After 150 years, Jesuit universities were founded in Trnava (1635, M. Szentiványi) and in Košice (1657), and Szentiványi's book "Miscellanea ..." (Trnava, 1689) can be seen in the exhibition. In the mid-18th century, the first departments of physics were born, and with it the first generation of Slovak physicists under the leadership of J. B. Horváth at the University of Trnava, and his textbook "Summary of the Fundamentals of Physics" (Budín, 1794) can be found in the exhibition.
The Mining Academy in Banská Štiavnica was founded in Slovakia (1762), at that time the only one in the world, and thanks to this, the exhibition contains a rare collection of analytical balances, which comes from this academy. I. B. Zoch (Gymnasium in Veľká Revúca) undertook to create Slovak physical terminology and wrote the first physics textbook in Slovak entitled “Physika čili silozpyt....” (Revúca, 1869), which is one of the unique exhibits of the exhibition. The collection items illustrate different periods of the development of physics, including a large collection of friction electrics (19th century), a hygrometer with a thermometer from the Štefánik estate (1838), as well as simple machines, microscopes, telescopes, meteorological instruments, electrical measuring instruments (galvanometers, tangent compasses...) and many other physical instruments and apparatus.

Through stylized dioramas, you will enter the office of the first Slovak dentist František Kuska and the workplace of a dental technician. The exhibition presents devices, tools, aids, equipment, dental materials, historical literature and curiosities. Using an interactive tablet and documentary film, visitors will learn many interesting things. The youngest visitors can try out proper dental care, while older and more skilled ones can play the role of a dental technician.
Many rare historical collections and collections of world museums, universities, companies and private collectors document the development of dentistry, or the special issue of dental prosthetics. The most comprehensive collection documenting the development of this issue in Slovakia is the collection of dental technology of the Slovak Chamber of Dental Technicians. The collection has been in the professional custody of the Slovak Technical Museum since 2018.
The various types of objects on display in the exhibition testify to the truly rich history of dental technology, developing hand in hand with dentistry. On the total area of ​​the exhibition of approximately 100 m2, the introduction to the issue is solved in the form of a brief excursion with the most important things that people have invented in approaches to the functionality and aesthetics of the teeth.
Interesting facts and verified truths about false teeth are alternated with a stylized diorama of the office and surgery of the first Slovak dentist František Kuska and creates an atmosphere worthy of the period of formation of the dentist's profession. A smooth transition to the workplaces of the dental technician - a partially depicted dental technology laboratory and workplaces for the production of dental crowns, bridges and removable prostheses, but also topics such as metal casting in dental technology and porcelain are alternated with a demonstration of a dental clinic.
Among the exhibits, the Morisson treadle drill attracts attention, in which the craftsmanship of the manufacturers is hidden. It is the oldest exhibited exhibit (1850), it also includes drills made by watchmakers. A polisher from the mid-19th century and pressure vulcanization boilers for rubber prostheses are rare. Even experts will be thrilled by the dental set, a product of the pre-war company Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk, an assistant cabinet, a hot-air sterilizer and also one of the first dental X-ray machines from the company SIEMENS. Among the dental instruments, the "top" exhibit is the pliers, which were made by a local blacksmith in the Hriňová area in the mid-19th century and used to extract painful teeth. The collection of dental metals and alloys of the First Slovak Refinery of Jozef Böhm from Žilina is very interesting. The exhibition also includes a furnace for firing porcelain crowns made in Sweden in 1923 and a corresponding cassette of original ceramic materials. Older types of drills in original packaging, the first STELLON brand resin, various technical pliers for platinization, a goldsmith's soldering blower, a cassette of occlusal stampers, devices for cutting and making sockets and other products that have already become historical artifacts from the point of view of the development of dental technology. Worth mentioning are the remarkable sets of American porcelain teeth, gold lace and platinum lace, which were made in Palestine.
An important place in the exhibition is occupied by instruments and equipment from Ružomberok from the villa below Čebrať belonging to the Kusková family. Many of the authentic furniture and equipment presented, whether from dental technicians or dentists, will take visitors back in time, reminding older people of their childhood and bringing a sense of relief to younger people that things look different today.

At an excellent workplace equipped with a projection planetarium from Zeiss Jena, you will embark on an adventurous journey through space. You will discover how the solar system works. In interaction with a lecturer, you will learn interesting facts about planets and galaxies. You will learn the mythological stories of the stars of the winter and summer sky.

The workplace is equipped with a unique planetarium of the ZKP-II type, which is manufactured by Zeiss Jena. It has two projection heads that demonstrate the view of the night sky from the northern and southern hemispheres of the Earth. Using the device, it is possible to depict objects visible in the sky with the naked eye - approximately 5,000 stars, the Sun, the Moon, five planets of the Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), some visible nebulae, galaxies, the Milky Way.
In the planetarium projection hall, it is possible to implement popular science and music-relaxation programs.

Directly in the exhibition you can interactively try out a number of telescopes while observing the tower and city objects. You will see a telescope from the estate of M. R. Štefánik, a lot of instrumentation and also a unique container for quail eggs, used in experiments of the Slovak Academy of Sciences during Ivan Bell's stay at the Mir space station.

There are few scientific disciplines that have made Slovakia famous in the world as much as astronomy. The exhibition documents the global history and development of observational technology in astronomy. The emergence and development of the most important instrument in astronomy - the telescope. It presents various types of astronomical and measuring instruments, such as sundials, armillary spheres, star globes, tellurium, planetariums, and maps of the starry sky. Thanks to more modern instruments such as a model of a parabolic antenna and a space incubator, the exhibition also gives us the opportunity to look into further developments in astronomy.

The first part of the exhibition is dedicated to the history of astronomy in the territory of present-day Slovakia. Prominent foreign astronomers and scholars worked here. At the Academia Istropolitana in Bratislava, J. Müller-Regiomontanus, M. Bylica and also a collaborator of M. Copernicus - G. J. Rheticus, who brought us Copernicus' manuscript of the book "On the Motions of the Celestial Bodies". Ch. Doppler worked at the Mining Academy in Banská Štiavnica.
The author of the first astronomical work in Slovakia, entitled "Tractatus de cometa" (1578), was J. Pribicer. The first popularizer of Copernicus' teachings in Slovakia was D. Fröhlich from Kežmarok. In the 17th and 18th centuries, astronomy was taught at the Jesuit universities in Trnava and Košice (M. Szentiványi, J. B. Horváth, Fr. B. Kéri, Fr. Weiss).
The first observatory in Hungary was founded in the 17th century in Prešov. The observatory in Hurbanov was built by M. Konkoly-Thege (1871). High-altitude observatories were established at Skalnatý Pleso (1943) and at Lomnický štít (1962). Eight craters on the surface of the Moon bear the names of astronomers associated with the history of astronomy in Slovakia: J. J. Müller-Regiomontanus, E. Chladni, M. Hell, J. A. Segner, J. M. Petzval, M. Loevy, Fr. X. Zach and A. Bečvář.
The second part of the exhibition is dedicated to instrumentation in astronomy and presents rare sundials, armillary spheres, astrolabes, sextants, starry sky globes, and tellurium. Visitors also have access to a collection of telescopes, with which they can get a closer look at the towers and interesting features of the surrounding buildings.

You will be enchanted by the many models of steam, water and combustion engines, gas, steam and water turbines. Functional models of steam engines powered by compressed air are demonstrated dynamically, in motion. You will see a model of Watt's steam engine, a dynamic model of a steam locomotive, Lenoir's combustion engine, or a unique section of a moving Kaplan turbine.

The exhibition was reinstalled in 2009 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the world-renowned scientist Aurel Stodola, the creator of the theory and design of steam and gas turbines. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to his life and work, especially Aurel Stodola's work in the university environment in Switzerland.

The exhibition is divided into steam engines, water engines and combustion engines, some of which are demonstrated to visitors in motion, powered by compressed air or an electric motor. The steam engine section presents the development of the use of steam power and steam engines. The model of Watt's steam engine documents the transmission of sliding motion by rockers, as in the so-called fire engines used for pumping water in mines. The application of the improved steam engine in railway transport is presented by a dynamic model of a steam locomotive and a model of steam distribution with a steam cylinder. The steam engine from 1912 in connection with a pump was obtained from the sugar refinery in Trebišov.
Rare dynamic models of steam engines deserve admiration. A valuable exhibit is a complete machine equipment consisting of a two-cylinder vertical piston steam engine, a dynamo and a switchboard with instruments from 1902 from the sugar refinery in Trenčianská Tepla. A unique model is a model of Lenoir's internal combustion engine, as well as a single-cylinder horizontal gas engine from the end of the 19th century, manufactured by the Lange and Wolf company in Vienna.
The dominant feature of the water engine exhibition is a hydroelectric power plant from 1956 with a Kaplan turbine. The turbine collection is complemented by machines from the Košice turbine manufacturer Karol Poledniak: a Pelton turbine (1931) and a Francis turbine (1938).
The exterior of the museum features a Francis spiral turbine with its striking shape. A unique feature is a piston water engine with a swinging cylinder from 1871.

In the interactive Hall of Electric Discharges, you will become a leading figure in electrostatics. Through dynamic light demonstrations and electrostatic experiments, you will actively learn about protection against dangerous voltage from real transformers, inductors and generators. You will discover how lightning strikes occur in the form of Lichtenberg figures and in a real Faraday cage you will experience an authentic discharge from a Tesla transformer.

Collection items documenting the development of electrical engineering were exhibited mainly in the permanent exhibition presenting notification electrical engineering. The feedback from visitors to the static exhibits prompted the Slovak Technical Museum to create a dynamic and interactive Hall of Electric Discharges. Demonstrations tell about the phenomena of electrostatics and high-voltage technology. In addition to classic demonstrations of the effects of static electricity, spark discharges up to 80 cm long are shown here - artificial lightning from a Tesla transformer directed into a Faraday cage.

An unforgettable experience can be the experience of its function – perfect protection against dangerous voltage. The Hall of Electric Discharges thus provides a unique opportunity to get acquainted with electrostatics and high-voltage technology through dynamic demonstrations and experiments, in some cases with an interactive approach for visitors. In addition to information about inventors in the field of electrical engineering and power engineering, the creators of the exhibition try to enable visitors to have a direct encounter with the phenomenon of electricity through functional dynamic exhibits. In chronological order, these are electrostatic generators, various types of Tesla transformers, Ruhmkorff inductor, Van de Graaff generator, Marx generator, Cockroft-Walton generator and others. Demonstrations of electromagnetic arc blowing at the Jacob's Ladder exhibit or spectacular creeping discharges on a glass barrier – Lichtenberg figures also attract attention.