Petr Kostrhun: Lucie Bakešová, the Mammoth, Karel Absolon – How It All Connects

A lecture by Petr Kostrhun from the Vesna cultural history series explores the fascinating interconnection of three figures: Lucie Bakešová, co-founder of Vesna in the late 19th century; her nephew Karel Absolon (1877–1960), discoverer of Moravian caves and the Venus of Věstonice; and Absolon as a representative of the extraordinary cultural atmosphere of interwar Czechoslovakia. The lecture reveals how Bakešová's family background and archaeological interests shaped the future iconic scholar and explorer. The presentation includes rich archival documents from Karel Absolon's family collection. Petr Kostrhun is director of the Centre for Cultural Anthropology at the Moravian Land Museum in Brno and a leading expert on the history of archaeology in the Czech lands.