The Mahen Villa in Brno reopened to the public after its renovation

Brno - After an eight-month reconstruction, the Mahen Memorial in Brno opened today. In addition to a library branch, visitors can expect an exhibition with photographs, letters, and other items from the life of Jiří Mahen. This was stated by the director of the Jiří Mahen Library, Libuše Nivnická, during the ceremonial opening.

The library, which is otherwise located on Kobližná Street in downtown Brno, acquired the former poet's villa in the Masaryk quarter after the death of his wife Karla. A branch of the library was created on the ground floor of the villa, with exhibitions about the poet's life on the upper floors. The spaces went 27 years without repairs, and now the building has new wooden floors and electrical installations.

The exhibition has also transformed, taking visitors into Mahen's study with the original desk. People can also view the writer's correspondence with friends or an interactive wall with games and quizzes.

"The main goal was to return the villa to the 1930s, when the couple lived there. We wanted visitors to feel as if they were visiting the Mahens," said Nivnická. The library spent five million crowns on construction work and furnishings, with half a million contributed by the city of Brno as the founder.

Jiří Mahen, born Antonín Vančura, was a poet and journalist. He worked for the Brno newspaper Lidové noviny and also as a theater dramaturg. He ended his life by suicide in reaction to the German occupation in 1939 and due to prolonged depression. He was 56 years old. His wife Karla lived in their villa in Brno until her death in 1991.

The name Jiří Mahen is also borne by one of the Brno theater buildings, the drama ensemble of the National Theatre Brno, and a fishing club.