The most famous Moravian folk puppeteers are V. Fink, J. Šimek, J.

Ruml, M. Doležal, the families Kučera, Tříšek, Kopecký, Berousek,

Flachs, Pfleger and Nový. The members of the specifi c Pfleger family

have conserved the oldest and rarest puppets of Czech provenience

coming from the workshop of M. Sychrovský in Mirotice and dating back

to mid-19th century. The members of the family Flachs are considered

the most interesting puppet masters in Moravia, especially thanks

to unique marionettes used in their theatres. They allegedly have been

carved by the Flachs themselves.

The popularity of wandering puppet theatre stimulated the large-scale

development of amateur puppetry in the fi rst half of the 20th century. Many

association, school and family puppet theatres came into being. Between

the two world wars the puppet theatre Radost / Public Enlightenment

Association in Břeclav, the Kasperl Realm in Olomouc-Hejčín and

Šindler’s puppet theatre Radost in Hus-House Brno were outstanding

Moravian amateur ensembles; their artistic level was extraordinary and

their performance overcame the traditionalistic manners.

In the context of the phenomenon of the so-called family puppet theatre,

the creation of the unique cubist “Czech puppet theatre” by Brno architect

Miroslav Kolář in 1920 was a special event. In fact, it was the fi rst

comprehensive manufactured theatre (proscenium and scenery), very

avant-garde both from the artistic and technological point of view.