Brno City

Brno is a statutory city and a regional city of the South Moravian Region. It lies in the central part of South Moravia, at the confluence of the Svratka and Svitava rivers, approximately 200 km southeast of Prague. With an area of approximately 230 km² and a population of over 380,000, it is the second largest city in the Czech Republic. Brno is an important administrative, university, scientific and transport centre.

History

The area of present-day Brno was already inhabited in prehistoric times. Significant prehistoric finds come, for example, from the Brno-Bohunice site. During the Great Moravian period, there was a small fortified settlement here, which had an important defensive function.

Brno is first mentioned in the Chronica Boemorum written by Cosmas around 1100, when it is mentioned in connection with a military campaign in Moravia. In the 11th century, a Přemyslid ducal castle was built here, which became the administrative center of the Moravian appanage principality. Brno's town charter is traditionally attributed to 1243, when it was granted by King Václav I. During the Middle Ages, the town was repeatedly fortified and became the seat of the provincial court and the Moravian provincial assembly. During the Hussite Wars, Brno sided with the Catholics and withstood several sieges, particularly in 1428 and 1430.

During the Thirty Years' War, the city was heavily fortified and in 1645 it withstood a siege by Swedish troops led by General Torstenson, making Brno a symbol of resistance. In the 18th century, the textile industry developed and in the following century Brno was called the “Austrian Manchester” due to its industrial sophistication. It also played an important role as a military center, with a number of barracks and the provincial military headquarters located there.

A major turning point came in the 19th century with the development of the railway. In 1839, the first train arrived in Brno, further integrating the city into the European transport and trade network. During this period, new factories, schools, and cultural institutions were established.

After the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918, Brno became the second largest city in the republic. In 1919, the surrounding villages (e.g., Královo Pole, Husovice, Židenice) were incorporated into Brno, significantly expanding the city. In the interwar period, it experienced a boom in modern architecture, including the world-famous Villa Tugendhat (1930).

During World War II, the city was occupied by the Nazis, and after the war, the German minority was expelled. In 1949, Brno became a regional capital and continued to expand—during the 1970s, other villages were incorporated and large prefabricated housing estates were built (e.g., Vinohrady, Bohunice, Lesná).

After 1989, the city underwent extensive restructuring. The development of higher education (e.g., Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology), science, and technology (e.g., CEITEC) came to the fore, and Brno established itself as a center of innovation and culture. Today, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, and hosts major international trade fairs every year.