Enigma and Other Secret Projects
The basis of the short-term exhibition is a traveling exhibition from the Slovak Technical Museum, which tells the story of Enigma and the history of cryptology. The NTM has supplemented this with the history of projects where the political situation led to secrecy.
In addition to the famous Enigma encryption machine on loan, the National Technical Museum also displays two other encryption machines from the NTM collections, old spy cameras, aerial photography equipment, and communication technology. Visitors can learn about classified projects such as the development of a new Jawa motorcycle prototype, Esa household appliances, and the Curta pocket calculator, which took place during World War II.
The legendary Enigma encryption machine was used in several modifications, mainly by the German armed forces before and during World War II. The machine could create more than 100 million encryption combinations, which is why its encryption was considered unbreakable by the German army. The exhibition tells the story of Enigma, but also presents the development of cryptology in the history of human civilization and its unexpected impact on the lives of ordinary people.
Some stories are also presented where secrecy was necessitated by the political situation. At the end of the 1930s, prototypes of new Jawa motorcycles were being developed. However, the occupation made the official development of civilian machines impossible, so it continued in secret so that mass production could begin after the war. Jana Prošvice's company suffered a similar fate. During the war, it was forced to produce radio components, so Prošvic founded a new company, Esa, where he continued to manufacture household appliances. After the war, production was expanded and, following nationalization, incorporated into the Elektro-Praga company. Industrial development brought with it a need for calculations, but mechanical calculators were heavy and bulky. Curt Herzstark therefore designed a pocket calculator, the construction of which he completed during the war in a concentration camp. After the war, Curt's calculator enjoyed worldwide success. The exhibition also features the Baroque Organum mathematicum and the Hagelin-Cryptos encryption machine, other models of which were used by the US Army during World War II.
Visitors to the exhibition can also try out a number of simple tools. In addition to Enigma, there is the Caesar and Jefferson ciphers, as well as Morse code. An accompanying weekend program is also available.
The exhibition was created in collaboration with the Slovak Technical Museum, the Technical Museum in Brno, and the Military History Institute in Prague.
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