Architect Wiesner has a new tombstone in Liverpool made of fragments of Brno buildings

Liverpool – A new tombstone for architect Ernst Wiesner, who influenced the appearance of Brno in the 1920s, was unveiled today at the cemetery in Liverpool, UK, by representatives of the South Moravian Region and the curator of the Stiassni Villa in Brno, Kateřina Konečná. The tombstone includes an addition made from fragments of buildings designed by Wiesner. The region announced this in a press release today. Wiesner is the author of the Morava Palace in Brno, the crematorium in Brno, and significant modifications to the Stiassni Villa.

"Ernst Wiesner belongs to the architects who fundamentally shaped the appearance of modern Brno, but their life stories were tragically interrupted by the historical events of the 20th century. By unveiling this monument in Liverpool, we are restoring his dignified memory while also reminding of the strong cultural ties between South Moravia and Great Britain," said regional representative Michal Doležel (TOP09).

Due to his Jewish heritage, Wiesner was forced to emigrate to Great Britain after the occupation of Czechoslovakia, where he also died. Brno historians were unaware of the location of his grave in Liverpool. The curator of the Stiassni Villa, Konečná, found the place of his final resting at Allerton Cemetery. With the support of the region, the tombstone was restored and complemented with a piece created according to the design of architect Tomáš Růžička from stone fragments from the Stiassni Villa, Neumark Villa, Morava Palace, and the building of Czech Radio Brno.

"The memory of cities is formed not only by buildings but also by human stories. And the story of Ernst Wiesner is deeply Brno, European, and human. I am glad to have been able to contribute to this important commemoration," added Konečná.

Ernst Wiesner was born on January 21, 1890, in Malacky, Slovakia. At the beginning of the 20th century, he moved with his parents to Brno. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, and from 1918 he began working as an architect in Brno. After a creatively prolific 20s, Wiesner's work began to stagnate, and in 1939 he emigrated to Britain to escape the Nazis. He returned to Brno in the late 1940s, but with the rise of communist power, he permanently relocated to Liverpool, where he died on July 15, 1971.