Brno

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Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Brno (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell,<ref>Template:Dictionary.com</ref> Template:IPA; Template:Langx Template:IPA) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic after the capital, Prague, and one of the 100 largest cities in the European Union. The Brno metropolitan area has approximately 730,000 inhabitants.

Brno served as the capital of Moravia from the Middle Ages until 1948, and remains the political and cultural hub of the South Moravian Region. Brno is an important centre of the Czech judiciary. The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, as well as state authorities, such as the Ombudsman<ref name="pdr">Template:Cite web</ref> and the Office for the Protection of Competition, are all located here.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brno is also an important centre of learning and higher education, with 10 universities, 29 faculties and a student population of over 65,000, as well as more than 60 secondary schools throughout the city.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Brno Exhibition Centre is one of the largest in Europe.<ref name="bec">Template:Cite web</ref> The complex opened in 1928 and has a long history of hosting international trade fairs and expositions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Masaryk Circuit has been hosting motorsport events since 1930, including the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix.<ref name="brnocircuit">Template:Cite web</ref> Another local tradition is the international fireworks competition and drone show Ignis Brunensis, which attracts over a million visitors annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref>

Two medieval landmarks, the historic Špilberk Castle and its fortifications, as well as the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Petrov Hill, dominate the cityscape and are seen as Brno's traditional symbols.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another historic landmark is the Veveří Castle near the Brno Reservoir.<ref name="veveri">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="brnoinfo">Template:Cite web</ref> The Villa Tugendhat, a seminal example of functionalist architecture, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One of the natural sights outside the city is the Moravian Karst. Brno is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and was designated a "City of Music" in 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Administrative division

Template:Main Brno consists of 29 self-governing districts and 48 municipal parts, whose borders respect the boundaries of the districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The districts of Brno are: Template:Div col

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Names

The etymology of the name Brno is disputed. It might be derived from Old Czech Template:Lang, i.e. 'muddy', 'swampy'.<ref>E.M. Pospelov, Geograficheskie nazvaniya mira (Moscow, 1998), p. 82.</ref> Alternatives are the Slavic verb brniti ('to armour' or 'to fortify') or a Celtic origin. The latter theory would make it cognate with other Celtic words for hill, such as the Welsh word Template:Lang. Throughout its history, locals in Brno have also referred to their city in different languages, including Template:Lang in German, ברין (Template:Lang) in Yiddish, and Template:Lang in Latin. The town was also referred to as Brunn (Template:IPAc-en)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in English, but this variant is no longer common today.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The asteroid 2889 Brno was named after the city, as was the Bren light machine gun. The latter was in wide use during World War II, and its name derives from 'Brno' and 'Enfield', the site of the Royal Small Arms Factory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Burian">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

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Early history

File:Mince 10Kč vzor 2003 rubová strana.jpg
The 10 CZK coin (1993 design)

The Brno basin has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as evidenced by a 2024 discovery of mammoth bones and prehistoric tools dating back 15,000 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dolní Věstonice, a globally significant Paleolithic site, is located Template:Convert south of Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Traces of Neanderthal activity were found at Template:Ill in the Moravian Karst, Template:Convert to the northeast.<ref name=":11">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The city's direct precursor was a fortified settlement, Template:Ill, established during the Great Moravian Empire, which was inhabited from the Neolithic Age until the early 11th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The site of the Staré Zámky Hillfort is located Template:Convert northeast of Brno-Líšeň. During the Great Moravian period, the Hillfort played a crucial role as a strategic hub, connecting the empire's centre with the ironworks in the Moravian Karst. Around the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries, the Hillfort experienced a catastrophic fire. Its remnants are protected as an archaeological monument.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Middle Ages

File:Znak Moravského markrabství.png
Coat of arms of the margraviate

In the early 11th century, Brno was established as the seat of a non-ruling prince from the House of Přemyslid,<ref name="brnohist">Template:Cite web</ref> and it became one of the centres of Moravia, along with Olomouc and Znojmo. Brno was first mentioned in Cosmas' Chronica Boemorum, dating to 1091, when King Vratislaus II besieged his brother, Conrad, at Brno castle.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the mid-11th century, Moravia was divided into three separate territories. Each had its own ruler, who came from the Přemyslids dynasty but was independent of the other two, and subordinate to the Bohemian ruler in Prague. The seats of these rulers and thus the "capitals" of these three territories were the castles and towns of Brno, Olomouc, and Znojmo. In the late 12th century, Moravia began to reunify, forming the Margraviate of Moravia. From then until the middle of the 17th century, political power was divided between Brno and Olomouc, with Znojmo playing a tertiary role. Olomouc had a larger population than Brno and was also the seat of the Diocese of Olomouc, the sole bishopric in Moravia until 1777.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="gemaart">Template:Cite web</ref> The Moravian Diet, the Template:Ill, and the Template:Ill convened in both cities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> These assemblies made political, legal, and financial decisions.<ref name="brnohist" />

Before the 13th century, there were virtually no Germans living in the Bohemian Lands. Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia were inhabited by an essentially all-Slavic population.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1243, the separate settlements that made up Brno were consolidated into a single fortified settlement and granted a royal city charter by King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia.<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> As was common throughout Central and Eastern Europe at the time, the royal city charter was closely tied to the arrival of German settlers and other migrants.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

File:Veduta z obléhání Brna Švédy v roce 1645.jpg
Unsuccessful Swedish siege in 1645

Around the turn of the 13th century, merchants on the main market, now known as Zelný trh, one of Brno's oldest squares, began building cellars to store food, wine, and beer. Although these vaults initially supported only local commerce, they became a vital part of the city's infrastructure and served as temporary shelters in wartime. They expanded over time, particularly in the Baroque period, and are now known as Labyrinth Under the Vegetable Market (Template:Langx).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1324, Queen Elisabeth Richeza of Poland built the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, where she is now buried, along with a Cistercian convent, which later became an Augustinian Abbey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From the mid-14th century to the early 15th century, during the rule of the Moravian branch of the Luxembourg dynasty, Špilberk Castle served as the official seat of the Moravian margraves. One of them, Jobst of Moravia, was elected the King of the Romans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Margraviate of Moravia was reunited under the Bohemian crown after his death.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> During the Hussite Wars, Brno was besieged by the Hussites twice, in 1428 and in 1430. Both attempts to conquer the city were unsuccessful.

17th and 18th century

File:Veduta Brna se znakem Markrabství moravského, rok 1670.jpg
Coat of arms of the Margraviate of Moravia in Book of the state of lords with the picture of Brno (1670)

In 1641, during the Thirty Years' War, the Holy Roman Emperor and the margrave of Moravia, Ferdinand III, ordered the permanent relocation of the Diet, the Land Court, and the Land Tables from Olomouc to Brno, as Collegium Nordicum had made Olomouc the primary target of the Swedish armies.<ref name="Garstein">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1642, Olomouc surrendered to the Swedish Army, which occupied it for eight years.Template:Efn Brno, under the leadership of Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches, successfully resisted the siege of Brno in 1645, the only Moravian city that succeeded in defending itself from the Swedes, who were commanded by Field Marshal Lennart Torstensson. Brno subsequently served as the sole capital of the Margraviate of Moravia.

After the conclusion of the Thirty Years' War in 1648, Brno retained its status as the sole capital of the region. That was later confirmed by the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II in 1782, and again in 1849 by the Moravian constitution.Template:Ref Today, the Moravian Land Tables are stored in the Template:Ill and are designated as a national cultural heritage site of the Czech Republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the 17th century, Špilberk Castle was rebuilt as a massive baroque citadel.<ref name="spilberkhist">Template:Cite web</ref> Brno was besieged by the Prussian Army led by Frederick the Great during the War of the Austrian Succession in 1742, but the siege was ultimately unsuccessful. In 1777, the bishopric of Brno was established by Pope Pius VI, with Mathias Franz Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske as its first bishop.<ref name="brnohist"/><ref name="gemaart"/>Template:Efn

During the 18th century, Brno experienced a significant textile industry boom, resulting in the rapid expansion of its suburbs and earning it the nickname "Moravian Manchester".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Brno flourished economically through the end of the 19th century. The city infrastructure, including sewer and water supply systems, was improved, and the fortifications around Špilberk Castle were reinforced. Rapid industrialisation brought about poor housing and working conditions for factory workers. Child labour, tuberculosis, inhumanely long shifts, and unequal relations between employees and employers were commonplace.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

19th century

File:La bataille d'Austerlitz. 2 decembre 1805 (François Gérard) (cropped, 1to1 portrait).jpg
Battle of Austerlitz, 2 December 1805
File:Lo Spielberg (xilografia).jpg
Špilberk Castle Template:Circa

In December 1805, the Battle of Austerlitz was fought near the city; the battle is also known as the "Battle of the Three Emperors". Although Brno itself was not directly involved in the battle, the city was under French occupation, which conferred significant hardship on the local population. In the wake of the hostilities, there was a devastating typhoid fever outbreak due to the mild winter temperatures that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in Brno from 20 November to 12 December 1805.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The French returned in 1809 and occupied the city for four months after the Battle of Znaim.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Napoleon ordered the fortification around Špilberk Castle dismantled and leveled, and the Castle lost its military significance as a fortress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These events are the theme of re-enactments that attract an international audience every year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1839, the first train arrived in Brno from Vienna via the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway. That marked the beginning of rail transport in the Czech Republic and Austria.<ref name="thefirsttrain" /> Between 1859 and 1864, city fortifications were almost completely removed. In 1869, a horsecar service began operating in Brno, marking it the first tram service in what would later become the Czech Republic.<ref name="dpmbhistory">Template:Cite web</ref> Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk and geneticist, conducted groundbreaking genetics experiments with pea plants at St. Thomas's Abbey in Brno during the 1850s.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The monastery served as a local hub for education, culture, and the arts, with a well-stocked library and other amenities. Mendel's work was not recognized during his lifetime, and he abandoned it after he was elected abbot of the monastery in 1868. Brno is home to Mendel University, which has been located there since the mid-1990s, when the former University of Agriculture, the nation's oldest agricultural school, was renamed in his honour.

Tomáš Masaryk, the first president and founding father of Czechoslovakia, attended a German-language grammar school (Template:Langx) in Brno between 1865 and 1869.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> His school served as a military hospital during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which led to the creation of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Although no major conflict took place in Brno during the war, the Prussian Army occupied the city following the Battle of Königgrätz. Several days later, a cholera epidemic that claimed the lives of more than 1,400 residents broke out.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> Masaryk later became a proponent of a second Czech university, alongside Charles University, which was established in Brno in 1919 and named after him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Masaryk Circuit and Masarykova Street, connecting Liberty Square and the train station, are also named in his honour.

Leoš Janáček, ranked among most-performed opera composers in the world, accepted a chorister scholarship at St. Thomas's Abbey in 1865.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He would spend the rest of his life in Brno, except for the period between 1872 and 1881 when he pursued advanced musical studies in Prague, Vienna, and Leipzig. He founded the Brno Organ School, which is now part of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU), upon his return in 1881. Janáček had a profound impact on Brno and its cultural life. His legacy helped transform the city into a major cultural hub.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Owing to his significance to Brno's history, several places and institutions have been named in his honour. In addition to JAMU, there is also the Janáček Theatre, an opera house and the largest of the three theatres belonging to the National Theatre Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

20th century and Greater Brno

File:Brno, hlavní nádraží a tramvaje.jpg
Main railway station in 1901

At the turn of the 20th century, roughly two-thirds of Brno's residents spoke German, and its suburbs and neighbouring towns were predominantly Czech-speaking.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=brunna>Template:Cite web</ref> Everyday life in the city was bilingual. The local German dialect, known as Template:Lang, incorporated elements from both languages.<ref name=brunna/> The end of World War I brought about the partition of Austria-Hungary, and more than three million Germans found themselves separated from Austria and under Czech control. After the Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed on 28 October, 1918, the Sudeten Germans asserted their right to self-determination and peacefully opposed the Czech military taking control of their homeland. Fighting broke out sporadically, resulting in casualties.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> Moravia contained patches of "landlocked" German territory to the north and south. German-language islands and towns inhabited by German-speaking populations, surrounded by Czech speakers, were common, much like in Brno.<ref name=":5" />

File:Czechoslovakia 1930 linguistic map - en.svg
Linguistic map of Czechoslovakia in 1930

Until 1918, the city of Brno was significantly smaller, and in administrative terms, it consisted only of the city centre. In 1919, two neighboring towns, Královo Pole and Husovice, along with 21 other surrounding municipalities, were annexed by Brno, creating Greater Brno (Template:Langx) in an effort to dilute the German-speaking population majority, which comprised approximately 55,000 residents, by adding Czech speakers from the city's vicinity.<ref name="Hahn" /> A significant portion of the German-speaking population was Jewish, comprising nearly 12,000 individuals, including several of the city's better-known personalities, who made a substantial contribution to the city's cultural life.<ref name="Hahn">Eva Hahn, Hans Henning Hahn: Die Vertreibung im deutschen Erinnern. Legenden, Mythos, Geschichte. Schöningh, Paderborn 2010, Template:ISBN, p. 370.</ref> Greater Brno was almost seven times larger in area, with a population of about 222,000 – before that, Brno proper had about 130,000 inhabitants.<ref name="Greater Brno">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The size of Brno's German population was virtually unchanged in the 1930 census, the last census before the war, when 200,000 residents declared Czech nationality, and approximately 52,000 identified as German. Both groups included Jewish citizens.<ref name="Hahn" /> Although Czechoslovakia experienced a peaceful and prosperous decade during the 1920s, ethnic tensions escalated in the 1930s following the onset of the Great Depression. Hitler's rise to power further inflamed the situation. Particularly when the Sudeten German Party became the second-largest party in Czechoslovakia, and it became known that the party received financial support from Berlin.<ref name=":4" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> During the interwar period, Brno served as the capital of the administrative region of Moravia (Template:Langx) from 1921 to 1928, and as the capital of Moravia-Silesia (Template:Langx) from 1928 to 1948. The city emerged as the preeminent site of modernist architecture during this period.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

World War II

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File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2004-0813-500, Deutsche Truppen in Brünn.jpg
Part of the civilian population welcomes German troops with the Nazi salute in Brno, 16 March 1939.

During the German occupation of the Czech lands between 1939 and 1945, all Czech universities were closed by the Nazis, including those in Brno. The Faculty of Law became the local headquarters of the Gestapo, and the Nazis used the Kounic Residence Hall at Masaryk University as a political prison for anti-fascists. Along with the firing range in Kobylisy, the Kounic dormitories were the most frequently used execution grounds in the Protectorate.<ref name="Burian" /> About 35,000 Czechs and some American and British POWs were imprisoned and tortured there; about 800 civilians were executed or died.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The executions were public.<ref>Leoš Drahota: Naše šibenice 16 – Novodobé věšení, Template:ISSN "Exekuce v Kounicových kolejích byly veřejné, ale vstup byl možný, podobně jako v případě nějaké kulturní či sportovní akce, jen s platnou vstupenkou, prodávanou za tři marky."</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Nazis also operated a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp, which mainly held Polish prisoners, an internment camp for Romani people in the city, and a forced labour "re-education" camp in the present-day district of Dvorska.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Between 1941 and 1942, transports from Brno deported 10,081 Jews to the Theresienstadt (Terezín) concentration camp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At least another 960 people, mostly of mixed ancestry, followed in 1943 and 1944. From Terezín, many of them were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, the Minsk Ghetto, Rejowiec, and other ghettos and concentration camps. Although Terezín was not an extermination camp, 995 deportees from Brno perished there. Only 1,033 people from over 11,000 returned after the war.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1944 and 1945, the city centre and several industrial facilities, such as the Československá zbrojovka small arms factory and the Flugmotorenwerke Zweigwerk aircraft engine factory, were targeted by Allied bombing raids.

Air strikes and artillery fire killed some 1,200 people and destroyed 1,278 buildings.<ref name="Zweigwerk">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> More than 12,000 buildings, or about half of the city's building stock, were damaged.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the wake of the occupation by the Red Army on 26 April 1945 and the end of the war, President Edvard Beneš arrived in Brno and delivered a speech demanding the expulsion of Germans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, beginning on 31 May 1945, remaining German inhabitants, comprising over 20,000 individuals, were marched Template:Convert to the Austrian border.<ref>Applebaum, Anne (2012). Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe 1944–1956. New York, US: Doubleday. p. 120. Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to testimony collected by German sources, about 5,200 of them died during the march.<ref>Bundesministerium für Vertriebene, Flüchtlinge und Kriegsgeschädigte & Theodor Schieder eds.: Die Vertreibung der Deutschen aus Ost-Mitteleuropa. Vorarbeiten Fritz Valjavec. Teil 4: Die Vertreibung der deutschen Bevölkerung aus der Tschechoslowakei. Bonn, 1957, 2 Bände.</ref> Later Czech estimates put the death toll at about 1,700, with most of the fatalities attributed to an epidemic of shigellosis.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2015, seventy years after the end of World War II, the city council issued a formal apology and expressed regret about the expulsion of German residents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The event is commemorated every year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Communism and beyond

File:Brno listopad 3.jpg
Demonstration at Náměstí Svobody, 20 November 1989

After the communist coup d'état, the newly formed Czechoslovak Socialist Republic abolished Moravian autonomy, and Brno ceased to be the capital of Moravia.<ref name="zakon2081948">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since then, Moravia has been divided into administrative regions, with Brno serving as the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region.<ref name="zakon2081948"/> In the 1960s and 1970s, large prefab high-rise housing estates were built on the city outskirts, such as Bohunice, Líšeň, Bystrc, and Vinohrady. During the communist era, the vast majority of jobs created were in manufacturing and machine-building industries.

Countless monuments and historic buildings fell into disrepair and ruin during the decades-long communist rule. Some were left abandoned, deteriorating beyond repair, and others were razed to the ground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the Velvet Revolution of 1989, a substantial portion of Brno's workforce shifted from the manufacturing industry to services and light industry. In particular, Brno became the information technology centre of the Czech Republic. New industrial areas sprang up on the outskirts of the city, such as Template:Ill east of the city. The city has also experienced a significant cultural renaissance and historic revival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

File:Autumn Marian Valley.jpg
The Marian Valley in Líšeň

Brno is situated at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, located between the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands and the Dyje–Svratka Valley in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic. The city is at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, which have linked northern and southern Europe since time immemorial. Brno is historically closely connected with Vienna, which lies Template:Convert to the south.<ref name="guocz">Template:Cite web</ref> The city is Template:Convert in diameter east to west with a total area of Template:Convert.<ref name="guocz" /> Wooded hills surround Brno on three sides. About 28% of the city area, or Template:Convert, is forested.

The city is relatively low-lying, with elevations ranging between Template:Convert and Template:Convert. The highest peak within the municipal area is Kopeček Hill, at Template:Convert, and the highest elevation overall is Útěchov, located on the border with Vranov. Brno is located within the Danube basin. The length of the Svratka River waterway through the city is about Template:Convert, and the Svitava River's waterway is about Template:Convert.<ref name="witwib" /> Several smaller streams flow through Brno, including the Template:Ill, the Template:Ill, and the Template:Ill. Of note is the Brno Reservoir, as well as numerous ponds, and other standing bodies of water, such as the reservoirs in the Template:Ill<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the fishpond Template:Ill.

Climate

Brno has a moderate climate and moderate air quality.<ref name="witwib" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> No severe weather events or disasters have been recorded.<ref name="witwib" /> Under the Köppen climate classification, Brno has an oceanic climate (Cfb) for −3 °C original isoterm,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but near the −2.5 °C average temperature in January, the coldest month. It is classified as a humid continental climate (Dfb) in the updated classification, characterized by cold winters and warm to hot summers.<ref name=Peel>Template:Cite journal</ref> A warming trend has been observed over the past two decades, and summer days with temperatures above Template:Convert are relatively common.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The average temperature is Template:Convert, and the average annual precipitation is approximately Template:Convert with an average of 150 rainy days. Average annual sunshine hours are 1,771 hours, and the prevailing wind direction is northwest.<ref name="witwib"/> Weather data from 1961 to 1990 is tabulated in the weather box below.

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Cityscape

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Administration

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File:Justiční palác v Brně.jpg
The Palace of Justice, seat of the regional court
File:Městské části Brna a jejich znaky.png
Administrative divisions of Brno and their coats of arms

Brno is a statutory city, consisting of 29 administrative divisions known as city districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The highest body of self-government is the Brno City Assembly.<ref name="TheAssemblyOfTheCity">Template:Cite web</ref> The city is headed up by the mayor, who has the right to use the mayor's insignia and represents the city externally. As of 2025, the mayor is Template:Ill of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The executive body is the city council and local councils of the city districts; the city council has 11 members, including the mayor and four deputies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The assembly of the city elects the mayor and other members of the city council, establishes the local police, and is also entitled to grant citizenship of honour and the Awards of the City of Brno.<ref name="TheAssemblyOfTheCity" />

The head of the Assembly of the City of Brno in personal matters is the Chief Executive, who, according to certain special regulations, carries out the function of employer of the other members of the city management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Chief Executive is directly responsible to the mayor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Brno proper forms a separate district, the Brno-City District, surrounded by the Brno-Country District. The city is divided into 29 administrative divisions (city districts) and consists of 48 cadastral areas. The "Brno-City District" and "Brno-Country District" are not to be confused with the "city districts" of Brno. The city districts of Brno vary widely by both population and area. The most populous city district of Brno is Brno-Centre, which has over 91,000 residents, and the least populous is Brno-Ořešín and Brno-Útěchov, with about 500 residents. By area, the largest district is Brno-Bystrc (Template:Convert) and the smallest one is Brno-Nový Lískovec (Template:Convert). Brno is the home to the highest courts of the Czech judiciary. The Supreme Court is on Burešova Street,<ref name="sccz">Template:Cite web</ref> the Supreme Administrative Court is on Moravské náměstí (Template:Langx),<ref name="saccz">Template:Cite web</ref> the Constitutional Court is on Joštova Street,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office of the Czech Republic is on Jezuitská Street.<ref name="ppocz">Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, Brno had a population of 398,510 inhabitants.<ref name="2021-census-population"/> The city experienced the most significant population growth in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution and after World War I, when it annexed nearly two dozen surrounding municipalities to create Greater Brno.<ref name="Greater Brno"/>

Template:Historical populations

Ethnicity and nationality

The largest ethnic groups in the 2021 census were Czechs (44.60%), Moravians (14.08%), Slovaks (1.74%), Ukrainians (1.04%), Russians (0.36%), Vietnamese (0.35%), and Poles (0.10%). About 26% of respondents did not specify their nationality. In the 2001 census, with different reporting requirements, 76.1% identified as Czechs and 18.7% as Moravians.<ref name="1980-2021-census-data">Template:Cite web</ref> And in the 1991 census, 35.8% identified as Czechs and 60.9% as Moravians.<ref name="1980-2021-census-demographics">Template:Cite web</ref> The outcome of the 1980 census is included for historical completeness. Censuses conducted under communist rule in Czechoslovakia were heavily politicized, particularly concerning the registration of nationality and religion. Beyond manipulating the categories and responses, the communist regime also controlled the dissemination of the census data itself.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Population of Brno by ethnic group 1980–2021
Ethnic group 1980 Census 1991 Census 2001 Census 2011 Census 2021 Census
Popul. % Popul. % Popul. % Popul. % Popul. %
Czech 360,481 97.04% 138,919 35.78% 286,120 76.06% 191,395 49.60% 177,729 44.60%
Moravian 236,550 60.92% 70,258 18.68% 72,367 18.75% 56,111 14.08%
Silesian 423 0.11% 95 0.03% 148 0.04% 182 0.05%
Slovak 6,806 1.83% 7,137 1.84% 5,795 1.54% 5,956 1.54% 6,937 1.74%
German 461 0.12% 464 0.12% 425 0.11% 203 0.05% 172 0.04%
Polish 327 0.09% 359 0.09% 402 0.11% 464 0.12% 445 0.11%
Roma 1,497 0.39% 374 0.10% 157 0.04% 191 0.05%
Russian 223 0.06% 365 0.10% 551 0.14% 1,433 0.36%
Ukrainian 225 0.06% 169 0.04% 710 0.19% 3,271 0.85% 4,129 1.04%
Vietnamese 721 0.19% 1,487 0.39% 1,376 0.35%
Not stated 1,210 0.33% 7,481 1.99% 91,529 23.72% 103,961 26.09%
Total 371,463 388,296 376,172 385,913 398,510
Source: Censuses<ref name="1980-2021-census-demographics"/>

Foreign nationals

As of August 2025, foreign nationals accounted for about 66,415, or about 16.7% of Brno's population. Out of that total, approximately 18,839 had permanent residency, and 47,576 had a temporary status.<ref name="foreign-national">Template:Cite web</ref> The following nationalities had the most significant presence:

Foreign nationals in Brno (August 2025)<ref name="foreign-national"/>
Nationality Population
Template:Flagu 33,049
Template:Flagu 10,111
Template:Flagu 2,993
Template:Flagu 1,905
Template:Flagu 1,274

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Economy

After World War II, the site of Flugmotorenwerke Zweigwerk in Brno-Líšeň became the Zetor factory.<ref name="Zweigwerk" /> Though it initially operated as a subsidiary of Zbrojovka, it became an independent manufacturer of tractors and agricultural equipment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At its peak in the 1970s, Zetor manufactured more than 70,000 tractors annually and employed thousands of people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The iron foundry, which was part of the site, was later acquired by the German company Template:Ill. Zbrojovka itself, which once employed over 10,000 people, went bankrupt in the early 2000s and was subsequently acquired by Česká Zbrojovka.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The entire group is now named Colt CZ Group SE after it acquired Colt Holding in 2021 and rebranded itself.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Building of JIC.jpg
South Moravian Innovation Centre

There has been a significant shift in the local economy since the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Many new companies were created or spun off from state enterprises as part of the privatization process, while several others ceased to exist entirely.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Before 1990, manufacturing and machine-building companies were pillars of Brno's economy. Since then, the city's economy has largely realigned itself with market demand for light industry, logistics, and services. Brno later gained some traction in newer engineering industries, especially in software development. After the turn of the millennium, foreign technology companies began to establish subsidiaries in Brno. Several Czech companies, with both local and global reach, also have headquarters in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable companies based in Brno include Gen Digital (one of the headquarters, brand AVG Technologies still used),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kyndryl (Collaborative),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> AT&T, Honeywell (Global Design Center),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Siemens,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Red Hat (Czech headquarters),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an office of Zebra Technologies,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and formerly Silicon Graphics International (Czech headquarters).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In recent years, knowledge-based drivers of economic growth, including science, research, and education, have become increasingly critical to the city's economy. Examples include AdMaS (Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or CETOCOEN (Center for Research on Toxic Substances in the Environment).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city cultivates this sector via its South Moravian Innovation Centre and the VUT Technology Incubator.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transport

Template:See also

File:Šalina ČD ComfortJet, Husitská.jpg
Tram service is the backbone of public transport in Brno.

Brno's public transit network is extensive. There are 11 tram lines, 13 trolleybus lines, and 47 bus routes.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trams, locally known as šaliny, are so ubiquitous that Brno has been nicknamed Šalingrad.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They first appeared in 1869 with the premiere of a horse-drawn tram on the territory of the Czech Republic. The trolleybus fleet, with 157 vehicles, is the largest in the nation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Local public transit integrates with regional transit into one system, IDS JMK,<ref name=":1" /> and links surrounding municipalities to the city.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> Its operator, Template:Ill, also operates a ferry on the Brno Reservoir.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A visitor minibus provides sightseeing tours of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, more than half of Brno's residents relied exclusively or almost exclusively on public transit. Approximately one-third of the population relied on personal motor vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists/scooter riders accounted for 10% combined.<ref name=":3" /> The base 60-minute fare, valid for rides within the city, is 25 CZK (approx. €1).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tickets can be purchased at vending machines, at newsstands, through the operator's website or app, or through SMS from a domestic phone number. Various discounts, subsidies, and exemptions, including discounted monthly, quarterly, or annual passes (Template:Langx), are available.<ref name=":2" /> In 2022, about 32,000 residents applied for a subsidy available on the annual pass. That discounted the pass from CZK 4,750 (€195) to CZK 3,325 (€137). The city allocated CZK 54 million (€2.2 million) for this benefit. With the annual pass, another adult and up to three children under 15 ride free on weekends.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, Dopravní podnik města Brna converted to electronic-only passes. In 2023, approximately 153,000 prepaid passes were sold, and 70% of passengers used a Šalinkarta pass.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brno operates a night-time bus service, which is unique in the Czech Republic for its regular central meeting point of all lines. Over the past 25 years, more than 150 million passengers have used this service. The busiest nights are Friday and Saturday, when 22 buses serving 11 bus routes transport approximately 20,000 passengers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Brno hlavní nádraží 1.jpg
Brno hlavní nádraží railway station

A railway service started in 1839 on the Brno–Vienna line, the first operational train line in the country.<ref name="thefirsttrain">Template:Cite web</ref> Today, Brno is a transnational railway hub with two train stations, several intermediate stops, and 24 regional train lines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are 13 direct rail connections to national destinations and 21 non-stop international routes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brno hlavní nádraží, the main railway station, sees about 50,000 passengers and 500 trains every day, and is the hub of regional train travel.<ref name="bmrs">Template:Cite web</ref> The historic station building is outdated and has insufficient operating capacity.<ref name="bmrs"/> A referendum about the future location of the station was held twice, first in 2004 and again in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although an overwhelming majority of residents wanted to keep the main train station in its current location, the referendum results are not binding due to low turnout.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 2024, the Czech Ministry of Transport approved the construction of a new main railway station on the site of the current Template:Ill station. The project is scheduled for completion in 2035.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Brno departure terminal.jpg
Brno-Tuřany Airport is the second busiest airport in the Czech Republic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Brno is also a motorway node. Two motorways on the southern edge of the city, the D1 and the D2, connect Brno with Ostrava and Prague, as well as Bratislava, respectively.<ref name="highways">Template:Cite book</ref> The D1 and D2 interchange is one of the busiest junctions in the Czech Republic with up to 80,000 vehicles passing through daily.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Further beyond the city limits is the D52, which leads to Vienna. Another planned motorway, the D43, will connect Brno to northwestern Moravia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A motorway ring, the Template:Ill, is under construction to divert traffic around the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several road tunnels have been built, at Pisárky, Husovice, Hlinky, and Královo Pole, as part of the I/42 project, with more planned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brno utilizes a zone-based parking system, offering free parking to residents and charging visitors for parking. The historic city centre is subject to more restrictions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additional car parks, including underground, are being built to alleviate congestion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, there were approximately 598 cars per 1,000 residents in Brno, with about nine cars added per thousand inhabitants each year.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> Brno utilizes a traffic management system that integrates real-time data and prioritizes public transit to reduce congestion and air emissions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Velonet bike rentals in front of the Constitutional Court in Brno, Czech Republic
Velonet bike rentals in front of the Constitutional Court

Brno-Tuřany Airport is an international airport located about Template:Convert southeast of Brno's city centre. In 2024, it recorded a passenger volume of 749,513 and a cargo throughput of Template:Convert, a slight increase over the previous year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ans.cz">Template:Cite web</ref> Two major carriers, Ryanair and Aegean, and other airlines, including Smartwings, AeroItalia and Air Montenegro, operate scheduled services to European destinations, but the airport primarily serves seasonal charter flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brno-Tuřany also serves as a police helicopter base, the only one outside of Prague.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is also the municipal Medlánky Airport, which serves as a hub for ultralight general aviation and recreational activities, including hot air balloon flying, gliding, and model aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport is home to Aeroklub Brno-Medlánky, which also operates the airfield.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cycling is a popular and widespread activity in Brno, due to the city's favorable topography. Despite Brno's car-centric layout and limited availability of bike lanes, 4% of the city's residents use bicycles as a means of transportation.<ref name="ecf.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are seven well-maintained bicycle paths, including those along the Svratka and Svitava rivers, totaling Template:Convert. Regional bike routes include a Template:Convert bikeway to Vienna.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, several hiking trails maintained by the Czech Tourist Club (KČT) pass through or near Brno, including the Template:Ill national trail and numerous local marked trails.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2025, two bicycle-sharing companies operated in Brno: Nextbike and Rekola.<ref name=":0" /> Bolt and Lime operate a fleet of rental scooters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, approximately 16,000 residents used bike-sharing services for 160,000 journeys, covering a distance of Template:Convert.<ref name="ecf.com" /><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Culture

File:Lisenske slavnosti vyrez.jpg
People wearing the traditional Moravian kroje (Moravian national folk costumes) at a folk festival in Líšeň

In 2023, the city spent approximately CZK 1.73 billion (€71 million) on culture. A university city with approximately 65,000 students, Brno is home to numerous museums, theatres, and other cultural institutions, and hosts a variety of festivals and cultural events. On average, Brno spent CZK 3,878.5 (€160) per capita on culture annually, significantly ahead of cities such as Ostrava (CZK 3,137.74), Olomouc (CZK 2,812.07), and Prague (CZK 1,790.51).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brno features a rich cultural life, with a diverse range of institutions and artists. More than 11,000 entities and approximately 21,000 residents (comprising about 12% of Brno's economy) are engaged in creative industries and culture. The estimated annual turnover of the entire sector exceeds CZK 24 billion (€990 million).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Brno has experienced a significant cultural "rebirth" since the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The façades of historical monuments have been repaired, and various exhibitions, shows, and other events are being established or expanded. In 2007, a summit of 15 presidents of EU Member States was held in Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite its urban character, some of the city's districts still preserve traditional Moravian folklore, including folk festivals featuring traditional Moravian costumes, local wines, folk music, and dances, held in several city districts, including Židenice, Líšeň, and Ivanovice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A local dialect, Hantec, originated in Brno. While the dialect itself is no longer in common use, certain words are still used,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> such as šalina (the common local term for a tram), štatl, (the city centre), and rola, (a railway station).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Festivals

File:Ignis Brunensis 2010 Montage 1.jpg
Ignis Brunensis fireworks festival on the Brno Reservoir (2010)
File:Tram horse tram Brno.jpg
Historical horse-drawn tram at the festival called "Brno – City in the Centre of Europe"

The largest festival in Brno is the Ignis Brunensis (Latin for "Flame of Brno") fireworks competition and drone show, held annually in June as part of the "Brno – City in the Centre of Europe" festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ignis Brunensis is the largest event of its kind in Central Europe, with over 1.3 million attendees in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":9" /> Cinema Mundi was an international film festival held annually at the end of winter between 2010 and 2016. Approximately 60 films competed for an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It resumed in 2024 with its 8th edition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Theatre World Brno is one of the largest theatre festivals in the Czech Republic. It is a collaboration between the National Theatre Brno, Template:Ill, Municipal Theatre Brno, JAMU, and several other venues. It features dozens of performances by national and international ensembles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other festivals held regularly in Brno include the Spilberk International Music Festival and the Summer Shakespeare Festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Every September, Brno hosts the Slavnosti vína wine festival to celebrate the harvest in the surrounding wine-producing region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Moravian Autumn festival, established as the Brno International Music Festival in 1966, is among the highest-profile cultural events in the Czech Republic, bringing leading international orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists to Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Janáček Brno festival is an international opera and music festival that celebrates the works of Leoš Janáček and other Czech composers, including Antonín Dvořák. Performances are often televised and broadcast on the radio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Brno also hosts historical reenactments and commemorative events. The reenactment of the Battle of Austerlitz draws over 1,000 attendees from more than a dozen countries each year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another historic reenactment and parade is the Day of Brno, which commemorates the day when Brno successfully repelled the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War. It features a re-enacted battle at the Špilberk Castle and a parade in historical uniforms through the city centre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Annual Pilgrimage of Reconciliation commemorates the expulsion of German residents and the so-called Brno Death March. The Reconciliation March is now part of the Meeting Brno festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was first held in 2015 and has grown significantly in size, with 13,000 attendees in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to the Brno International Folklore Festival, several Brno districts, such as Medlánky and Černovice, host their own hody. This traditional Moravian village celebration combines local customs and festive activities. They are usually held in the summer and early fall, and feature folk costumes (Template:Langx), traditional music, dancing, and a maypole.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Theatres

File:Reduta Theatre - Brno.jpg
Reduta Theatre, the oldest theatre in Central Europe

Brno features the oldest theatre building in Central Europe, the Reduta Theatre, located on Zelný trh, which bears witness to the city's long tradition of the performing arts. The first theatre plays in Brno likely took place in the 1660s at what was the City Tavern, an early precursor to the Reduta Theatre. However, the first theatre building with opera boxes was constructed later, in 1733. The first documented theatre performance in the Czech language took place here in 1767. The play was called Zamilovaný ponocný (Template:Langx) and was performed by the Baden Theatre Company. Mozart performed at the theatre with his sister Anna Maria (Nannerl) while his family spent Christmas in Brno that year.<ref name="redutatheatre">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Mozart statue stands in front of the theatre, commemorating their visit, and the theatre's Mozart Hall is named in his honor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Mesto Brno - Mahenovo divadlo 2.jpg
Mahen Theatre

The National Theatre Brno (NdB) is the leading producer of opera, drama, and ballet in Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> NdB's first permanent presence was established in 1884. Today, the National Theatre Brno also owns the Mahen Theatre, which was built in 1882, the Janáček Theatre, built in 1965, and the Reduta Theatre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The composer Leoš Janáček is also associated with the National Theatre Brno. The Mahen Theatre was the first theatre building in Europe illuminated by Thomas Edison's electric light bulbs, which were a novelty at the time. A small steam-driven electric power plant was constructed near the theatre before Edison's visit to Brno in 1911.<ref name="mahentheatre">Template:Cite web</ref> The Brno City Theatre, founded in 1945, is the most commercially successful ensemble in Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The theatre's local performances are routinely sold out. It performs abroad as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The theatre's repertoire consists primarily of musical and dramatic shows.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There is a variety of smaller theatre venues in Brno, including the Bolek Polivka theatre, the Template:Ill, Template:Ill, Template:Ill, and Template:Ill. The Mahen Theatre was initially known as the City Theatre and, until 1918, hosted performances exclusively in German; it was not part of the National Theatre of Brno at that time. Between 1971 and 1978, some plays were hosted by the Brno Exhibition Centre while the Mahen Theatre underwent reconstruction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Local legends

File:Brněnské kolo a drak (02) výřez.jpg
Brno Dragon and Brno Wheel at the Old Town Hall

Alligators, crocodiles, and dragons are referenced heavily in Brno, due to a local legend dating back to the Middle Ages. According to one version of the legend, a frightening creature terrorized the residents of Brno. Unfamiliar with a crocodile, they referred to it as a dragon. They lived in fear until a young butcher devised a plan to kill the monster. He filled a cowhide with quicklime and sewed it up. After eating this, the crocodile attempted to wash down the bitter aftertaste with water until its stomach burst and it died. According to another version of the story, Margrave Matthias (later the Holy Roman Emperor) was fond of animals, and the Ottomans gifted him a live crocodile. As Matthias passed through the streets of Brno, the crocodile died, and the Margrave left it behind in the city, where it has been on display ever since at the Template:Ill.<ref name=":10">Template:Cite web</ref>

Over the years, the creature became one of the mascots of Brno. A stuffed baguette is called a crocodile (Template:Langx), as is the radio station, known as Radio Krokodýl. One of the local baseball teams is named Draci Brno (Template:Langx), the rugby club is RC Dragon Brno, and the American football team goes by Template:Ill. An Intercity train connection between Brno and Prague is named Brněnský drak (Template:Langx). The 2024 Christmas season featured a dragon clothed in a neon jumper spewing flames. The particular specimen on display in the Old Town Hall passage is a female Nile crocodile of unknown age, about Template:Cvt in length, and weighing Template:Convert. Its skin has been reinforced with metal and a plaster cast. <ref name=":10" />

File:Brno-AltesRathaus2.jpg
Old Town Hall in Brno

Next to the crocodile is a wagon wheel, another symbol of the city. According to the legend, a man made a wager that he could fell a tree in Lednice, Template:Convert from the city, craft a wheel out of it, and roll with it to town all within a single day. Since the feat was deemed to be impossible, the man was believed to have made a pact with the devil, was ostracized, and died penniless as a result.<ref name=":10" />

Another local legend dates back to the siege of the city by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War in 1645. The standoff was at a stalemate, and the Swedish marshal Lennart Torstensson declared that he would withdraw if the city did not surrender to him by noon. The bell ringer at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Petrov Hill tricked the Swedes by sounding noon an hour early. In keeping his word, Field Marshal Torstensson and his army left.Template:Sfn As a historic tribute to the Swedish siege, the bell at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul still rings noon an hour early, at 11 o'clock. The Brno astronomical clock releases a glass ball at 11 a.m. every day to commemorate the heroic defense of the city. On special occasions, a glass ball rolls out every hour. As the hour approaches, the clock is typically surrounded by throngs of people hoping to catch one of the glass balls as a souvenir.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Museums, libraries and galleries

File:Moravská zemská knihovna crop.jpg
Moravian Library building

The most significant museum in Brno is the Moravian Museum, the largest in Moravia and the second-largest in the Czech Republic.<ref name="mzm"/> The museum was founded in 1817, and its collections comprise over 6 million pieces.<ref name="mzm">Template:Cite web</ref> The most extensive public library in Brno is the Moravian Library. With approximately 4 million volumes, it is the second-largest library in the Czech Republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The most extensive gallery in Brno is the Moravian Gallery, which again ranks second in the Czech Republic and is the largest in Moravia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

One section of the Moravian Museum, the Anthropos Pavilion, is related to the earliest history of humanity and prehistoric Europe. Brno is also home to one of the largest technical museums in the Czech Republic, which hosts 17 permanent displays charting the advance of science and technology, accompanied by various models and restored machinery.<ref name="Technical Museum">Template:Cite web</ref> The museum also hosts multiple short-term exhibitions that complement its emphasis on metallurgy, cutlery, mechanical music, steamships, clockwork, and water machines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

File:Kampus 2 (Fotoarchiv RMU).jpg
Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Brno-Bohunice

Brno is home to 10 universities and more than 60 secondary schools.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" /> In 2024, over 65,000 students were enrolled in Brno's higher education institutions.<ref name=":6" /> The student population has increased by 6.4% over the past five years, reversing the downward trend that had persisted through the 2010s, and now one in six Brno residents is a student.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city is also home to several research and development institutions, including the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and the International Clinical Research Center (ICRC).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While classes taught in English are subject to tuition fees, instruction in Czech is free to everyone, including international students. The three most prominent universities in the region, Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, and Mendel University in Brno, all participate in the Erasmus programme.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

With over 35,000 students, Masaryk University, also known as MUNI, is the largest university in Brno. Founded in 1919, it comprises ten faculties, 400 study programmes, over 190 departments, institutes, and clinics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> MUNI consistently ranks among the top 500 universities globally and second, after Charles University, in the Czech Republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Brno University of Technology, VUT, was established in 1899 and is now one of the largest technical universities in the Czech Republic, with approximately 18,000 students. It ranks among the top 41% of universities globally and fifth in the nation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Viktor Kaplan, the inventor of the Kaplan turbine, spent nearly 30 years at the German Technical University in Brno, a precursor institution that closed after World War II in 1945.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Zemědělská 1, Brno.JPG
Mendel University in Brno

The Mendel University, or MENDELU, was established in 1919 and is named after Gregor Mendel, the founder of genetics, who developed his revolutionary scientific theories in Brno. It focuses on life sciences and has over 10,000 students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It ranks 9th in the Czech Republic and 1267th globally (177th in Plant and Animal Science).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, or JAMU, named after Leoš Janáček, was founded in 1947 and is one of two academies of music and drama in the Czech Republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It holds the annual Leoš Janáček Competition.<ref name="jamu2">Template:Cite web</ref> The University of Veterinary Sciences Brno is the only university in the Czech Republic for the study of veterinary sciences. Founded in 1918, the VETUNI has an estimated total enrollment of approximately 350 students, with 76 new students enrolled in the 2024/25 academic year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> VETUNI ranks 699th in Plant and Animal Science globally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sport

File:Start Superbike Weltmeisterschaft 2008 Brno.JPG
Motorcycle racing championship at the Masaryk Circuit

The city has a long association with motor racing; among other events, the Masaryk Circuit has hosted the Moto GP championship since 1965. The annual Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix, the most famous motor race in the Czech Republic, has been held in the city since 1950. Since 1968, Brno has been a permanent fixture on the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Track and road cycling have a long history in Brno. The first track races took place here in 1889, and the velodrome in Brno ranks among the oldest velodromes in the world. In 1969, Brno hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the UCI Road World Championships for amateurs. In 1981, the UCI Track Cycling World Championships were held, and in 2001, the UEC European Track Championships were held for the U23 category. There are two traditional cycling teams: TJ Favorit Brno and Dukla Brno.

The 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women was played in Brno's Arena Vodova, with the Czech squad taking the silver medal.

There is a horse-race course at Brno-Dvorská and an aeroclub airport in Medlánky Airport. Several sports clubs represent the city in the various Czech leagues, including FC Zbrojovka Brno (football), HC Kometa Brno (ice hockey), Template:Ill (basketball, women),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BC Brno (basketball, men) and BK Brno (women), four baseball teams (Draci Brno, Hroši Brno, VSK Technika Brno, MZLU Express Brno), Template:Ill (lacrosse club), Brno Alligators (American football), two rugby teams (RC Dragon Brno, RC Bystrc) and others. Tennis players Barbora Krejčíková, Lucie Šafářová, Lukáš Rosol, and Jana Novotná are from Brno, as well as Michal Březina, one of the top Czech figure skaters.

Motorcycle speedway events were held at the Winter Stadium, off Na Rybníčku in Králové Pole.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The venue hosted a final round of the Czechoslovak Individual Speedway Championship in 1949, 1950 and 1954.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sights

File:Brno - Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul II.jpg
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and Dietrichstein Palace viewed from the tower of the Old Town Hall
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Villa Tugendhat, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Brno has over 400 protected cultural sites and objects, including one designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and 14 monuments on the Template:Ill.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="unesco">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of them are in the historical city centre, but some are located in the outer districts of the city.

The Old Town Hall (Czech: Stará radnice), dating back to approximately 1240, is the oldest secular building in Brno and has been registered as a national cultural monument since 2024. Its observation deck is 63 metres above ground, and the central passageway houses the Brno dragon and a cartwheel, both symbols of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Špilberk Castle, originally a royal seat founded in the 13th century, became a fortress and later a prison from the 17th century onwards (e.g., the Carbonari). Today, it is one of the city's major landmarks.<ref name="spilberkhist" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The park and gardens around the castle, established in 1861, are notable for their landscaping, as well as an observation point also known as the Špilberk Arbour.<ref name=":12" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Another key landmark is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, built during the 14th and 15th centuries in place of an 11th-century chapel.<ref name=brnopetrov>Template:Cite web</ref> It was completed in its present form with two neo-Gothic towers in 1909.

Veveří Castle, about Template:Convert from the city centre, is the third-largest historic monument in Brno.<ref name="veveri" /><ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref> Founded in the Middle Ages as a hunting lodge for the Moravian margraves, it is among the largest and oldest castles in the Czech Republic. Its last owner was Baron Maurice de Forest, an early motor racing driver, aviator, and close friend of Winston Churchill, who visited the castle several times.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Abbey of Saint Thomas, the site of Gregor Mendel's genetics experiments, is also linked with Leoš Janáček. The Church of Saint Tomas houses the graves of John Henry, its founder, and his son, Jobst of Moravia, both margraves of Moravia. The Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady is the final resting place of Queen Elisabeth Richeza. The Church of Saint James is one of the best-preserved Gothic churches in Brno.

The Brno Ossuary is the second largest in Europe after the Catacombs of Paris.<ref name="ossuary">Template:Cite web</ref> Another smaller ossuary is the Capuchin Crypt, which houses mummies of Capuchin monks and other notable figures of their era, including architect Template:Ill and the mercenary leader Baron Trenk.<ref name="mumies">Template:Cite web</ref> The Labyrinth under Zelný trh, a system of underground corridors and cellars dating back to the Middle Ages, have historically served as beer and wine cellars, food storage, and wartime shelters, and have more recently become a tourist attraction. They were previously not as interconnected as they are now, following an extensive reconstruction completed in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Brno Parnas Fountain-02.jpg
Zelný trh with Parnassus Fountain

Brno was home to a sizable Jewish community since at least the 13th century. The city is home to a functionalist synagogue built between 1934 and 1936, and the largest Jewish cemetery in Moravia.<ref name="zob.cz" /> Tombstones and other cemetery artifacts date back to 1349.<ref name="zob.cz">Template:Cite web</ref> It is estimated that the Jewish community comprised about 12,000 individuals in 1938. Only about 1,000 of them survived the Holocaust and Nazi persecution during World War II.<ref name="zob.cz"/> The cemetery and the synagogue are maintained by Brno's remaining Jewish community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The only mosque in the Czech Republic, founded in 1998, is also located in Brno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The interwar period saw a significant construction boom, as evidenced by numerous modernist and functionalist buildings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Villa Tugendhat, designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the 1920s for the family of Template:Ill, was completed in 1930. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.<ref name="villa">Template:Cite web</ref> Another notable architect who significantly contributed to Brno's cityscape was Arnošt Wiesner.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="leisure">Karrie Jacobs, Discovering Brno's architecture, in Travel + Leisure, November 2005, available online</ref><ref name="komor">Template:Cite web</ref> Other examples of functionalist buildings include the Template:Ill and Palace Moravia. The Brno Exhibition Centre hosts more than 40 trade fairs and conferences annually, attracting over 1 million visitors.

Lužánky is the oldest public park in the Czech Republic, established in the late 18th century by Emperor Joseph II.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Ill, founded in the early 19th century, was the first public park in the Czech Republic to be established by public authorities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> More recent additions include the Brno astronomical clock and the AZ Tower, commissioned in 2013, and at 111 metres (364 ft), the tallest building in the Czech Republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

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International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

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Cooperation agreements

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Nearby cities

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See also

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References

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