Started the day off with a 20 minute walk to the Cold War Museum which was used as a fallout shelter and is underneath a hotel that is currently open to the public. There is an operating room which contains special equipment like gas masks and drills for brain surgeries. There were two different police: public and secret which made it more difficult for people to differentiate because the uniforms a were similar. The spy room was the most interesting. It was used as a place where the Communists would spy on Western hotel guests and even placed a device on hairbrushes along with using ladies to entertain the male guests.
Next, we went to the ŠKODA Musuem and Factory. The factory was fascinating because I got to experience first-hand the process of manufacturing cars that can be seen on a daily basis. The system is very ordered with certain amount of people working at each station and moving on to the next while the line is moving. They are also wearing specific colored shirts to represent positions within the factory. There are a good amount of robotic equipment involved too that helps out with the process such as taking out the doors or bringing in parts. The extending chair for the person to move inside of the car comfortably was fascinating too which shows the safety considerations take in to account for the workers here. However, this type of work is very demanding and time management is essential to get the right amount of work done while the pay is on the line. The press shop contained many aluminum and steel made parts and had a waste cube that could be reused. The actual museum contained old cars and the newer models. I learned about how some of the older cars had a piece attached in the back that could place the wheels outside of the car. I think that this was a good and new experience in terms of the engineering that goes into big companies known throughout Czech Republic .
Overall, I ended this day on a good note because I got to experience the technical things behind history.
Swanson School of Engineering 