Jedlička Institute in Prague, 1913
Jedlička Institute in Prague’s Vyšehrad was opened on April 1, 1913. It was established and operated by the Association for the treatment and education of cripples in Prague. President of the association, at that time MD. Rudolf Jedlička, started a rapid and worthy development of the new pedagogical and medico-social facility.
The Institute began its activity in a small house on a street V pevnosti 4, and in 1922 there was established an orthopedic clinic and a hospital operating room on Na Pankráci 13 . After the death of R. Jedlička (1926) they started construction of a new building in Pankrác, which still operates as Jedlička Institute.
After Jedlička the institute was led by Augustin Bartoš until 1945.
R. Jedlička’s aim as well as A. Bartoš was linking professional treatment with education and leading of handicapped people to the maximum possible self-activity.
At the beginning of the 30s of the 20th century, Jedlička Institute became famous through workshops: Mechanical carpentry, tailoring, gardening, production of hand-made carpets, embroidering flags, sewing clothes and manufacture of prosthetic devices in four professional workshops.
During the World War II one part of the institute emigrated the Lochovice Castle and in the school building there was established hostel for staff of German SS hospital. After the war the institute returned to its original premises. Dissolution of the association, nationalization and division into schools managed by the Ministry of education began quite different chapter of history of the Jedlička Institute which lasted for another 40 years.
In 1990 there was established a high school with these fields of study: grammar school, business and family school. It was established near Jedlička Institute particularly on Na Topolce 1.
Currently Jedlička Institute and schools use four buildings:
House on Na Topolce 1 as the home for young children,
House on Na Pankráci 13 which serves as a home for students,
The new building has been repaired and become a modern school facility to which was added a pool,
The construction of the rehabilitation pavilion started in 2004.
The city of Prague controls the institute and schools since the recent times. The services provided by the institute and schools are complex, ambulant and resident in the field of special education and medical rehabilitation.