overview about the place The Postal Museum was established shortly after the founding of Czechoslovakia, on 18 December 1918. Postal history memorabilia were meant to illustrate the special standing of the Czech and Slovak nation. At the same time, on the same day, the first Czechoslovak stamp was issued, to a design by Alphonse Mucha representing the Hradčany castle skyline. more about the place The newly established postal administration asked for a design on October 30, saying that in order to reproduce the payable stamp, which was of utmost importance to the state, the design had to be ready within 24 hours. ‘One day, after visiting Prague, he did not go to his large workshop, but sat down at the window in the library where he sketched some compositions, and on one of them I saw the outline of Hradčany in the background. ‘These are these new stamps for the Matice organisation and I have to hurry with them, they will be printed at the Union printworks right away.’ I noticed that he was joyful and excited, but I didn’t ask more. I was not surprised, because he was so often engaged in drawing stickers and posters for our national associations. It was only when the first print proofs arrived that I learned that these were to be our first Czechoslovak stamps, as yet drawn right under the protective wings of the Austrian eagle poised over the imperial post offices, only to be replaced in short order by our Czech lion.’ (source Mucha Foundation).