Windows as witnesses of history

As Škoda Auto celebrates 130 years of its existence, the Škoda Storyboard brings you key moments in its history through objects from the archives and museums. This time, you are about to discover the story of windows that are nearly as old as the company itself.

25. 3. 2025 130 years

These glass panes have survived a fire, two world wars, and the communist regime in Czechoslovakia—history has literally walked past them. The Škoda Museum archive houses original windowpanes from the Laurin & Klement office building, which has stood in Mladá Boleslav since 1911.

Art Nouveau beauty in Mladá Boleslav

In 1910, Laurin & Klement was the largest automobile manufacturer in Austria-Hungary, employing nearly a thousand people. The increasing production volume and expansion of the model range naturally led to the development of the entire complex in Mladá Boleslav, to which a new main office building was to be added.

"Due to the constant expansion of the plant, our current administrative office spaces are no longer sufficient, and therefore, we are forced to build a new building for this purpose," reads the application for a construction permit submitted to the Royal City Council of Mladá Boleslav in March 1911. The handwritten building permit was granted to the Laurin&Klement company shortly, thereafter, signed by then-mayor Bohumil Matoušek.

Plans for the construction of a new building from 1911

At the time, the new office building symbolized the growth and development of the Laurin & Klement brand. Škoda Auto has continued this trend for over 100 years, further expanding its operations. A clear indicator of this progress is the size of the main production plant. Škoda has not only multiplied the area of its Mladá Boleslav facility but continues to invest in expanding production capacities at its other Czech plants in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí. Škoda cars with the iconic winged arrow logo are also manufactured in many other countries.

Thanks to well-preserved blueprints, we still have a detailed overview of the building’s interior layout. For example, the basement housed a boiler room and storage facilities. The ground floor included an accounting office and a typing room, while the first floor contained offices for exports, advertising, correspondence, and the general director. The second floor featured a meeting room, private rooms, and a kitchen.

Beautiful etched windows with the L&K company logo were located on the ground floor, embodying the Art Nouveau style, which reflected the charm and elegance of the Belle Époque, or Beautiful Era —an era of rapid technological progress and improving living standards between 1890 and 1914. The administration building’s placement within the factory complex allowed direct interaction between company management and employees, facilitating a personal approach between management and factory workers.

Symbol of quality and stability

While the administration building’s windows continued serving their purpose, the world outside them was rapidly changing. After the Great War (World War I), the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, and classrooms that once displayed portraits of the emperor now featured President T. G. Masaryk—the "liberator" of the newly formed Czechoslovakia, which had to establish itself economically within Europe. In 1924, a fire broke out in the building, caused by the ignition of cleaning cotton soaked in oil or gasoline. A year later, in 1925, Laurin & Klement merged with the Plzeň-based engineering conglomerate Škoda. This merger not only facilitated repairs after the fire but also brought an investment of 220 million Czechoslovak crowns, allowing further expansion.

On May 9, 1945, just one day after World War II ended in Europe, Mladá Boleslav was bombed by the Soviet Red Army to prevent the retreat of German forces, who had surrendered the previous day. Twelve aerial bombs struck the almost deserted premises of Škoda factory, causing extensive damage. After the war, the company was nationalized, and in 1948, the communist government took full control. For the next 40 years, Czechoslovakia’s economy would be governed by a centrally planned and controlled socialist system.

Not only was the world changing outside the windows, but the building itself transformed, reflecting the political climate of the country. Art Nouveau details were replaced by propaganda slogans—an inseparable part of life in a communist state. A sign reading "AZNP" (Automobilové závody, národní podnik), the company's name under socialism, was prominently displayed on the building’s corner.

Administrative building in 1959 still with the original windows

One of Czechoslovakia’s most pivotal moments came in August 1968, when Warsaw Pact troops, led by the Soviet Union, invaded the country to suppress its liberalization efforts. Through all these events, the windows remained in place, as evidenced by a photograph from 1984. Five years later, in 1989, the communist regime fell, marking the end of one-party rule—and for these windows, the beginning of a new chapter in their long history. They eventually became treasured historical artifacts that are to be admired.

Administrative building in 1984 still with the original windows

In 1991, Škoda became part of the Volkswagen Group, followed by a period of rapid development and professionalization. The Mladá Boleslav plant continued to grow, and the original windows witnessed this era of transformation before finally being replaced during a major renovation in the mid-1990s. Today, they are preserved in the Škoda Auto archives, serving as a reminder of the company’s long and sometimes challenging journey.

The administration building served as the company headquarters until 1974. Today, it is one of the first stops for new employees, where they receive their company ID cards in the form of an employee access card. It is located at the intersection of Václav Klement Avenue and Laurinova Street, a place that locals now simply refer to as "U Bičíků" ("At Bičík’s Intersection").