Brno Architecture 1815–1915

Exhibition 7.11. - 15.12.2006, ARCHITECTURE GALLERY, Starobrněnská 16 /18, Brno
Opening of the exhibition on Tuesday, 7.11.2006 at 19:00

The exhibition accompanies the release of the publication of the same name by the Society of the Municipal House Brno, featuring photographs by David Židlický capturing a selection of Brno buildings from the nineteenth century.

After a series of successful publications on Brno architecture in the 20th century, the Municipal Society decided to introduce the public to the local outstanding architecture and urbanism of the nineteenth century. Brno's modern architecture of the first half of the 20th century is a phenomenon of international significance and recognition, a phenomenon already documented in professional literature, and thus made accessible to a broad cultural public. However, this phenomenon of the city of modern architecture could arise because already in the 19th century, architecture and urbanism of the highest European level were realized in Brno.
The emergence of modern society and the transformation of the feudal town into a modern industrial and cultural metropolis occurred in an exceptionally fortunate way, which is uniquely reflected in its architecture. Thus, a remarkable and unique ensemble of Circulatory Boulevard and a whole series of architecturally valuable districts and individual buildings emerged in Brno.
A number of buildings here were realized not only by leading Austrian architects, such as Ludwig Förster, Theophil Hansen, Heinrich Ferstel, Ferdinand Fellmer, Hermann Helmer, Eduard van der Nüll, August Siccard von Siccardsburg, but also by excellent local architects, such as Josef Arnold, Alois Prastorfer, August Prokop, Germano Wanderley, and others.
Although in recent years two books have been published that deal with Brno's 19th-century architecture, namely Brno's Circulatory Boulevard (Brno, 1997) and Stories of the Long Century: Architecture from 1750-1918 in Moravia and Silesia (Olomouc, 2003), authored by Pavel Zatloukal, there is still no comprehensive and broader overview of the architectural production of that time. Consequently, Brno's architecture of the 19th century is not known to the broader professional public (especially architects) and does not enjoy the same respect and recognition as the modern architecture of the 20th century. This state of affairs can be attributed to an unconscious relationship towards the architecture and urbanism of the 19th century, accompanied by frequent destruction of these buildings and ensembles through construction modifications.
The Society of the Municipal House Brno publishes a concise pocket guide to the 160 most valuable buildings of 19th century Brno. The author of the introductory section and entries is Prof. Pavel Zatloukal, with photographs by David Židlický. The guide is not only a summary of Prof. Zatloukal's previous research on 19th-century Brno architecture but will also provide a number of entirely new, previously unpublished data.

The guide will be published in Czech and English versions.