Churches of Brno
Encyclopedia
The majority of church buildings in Brno
belong to the Roman Catholic Church
, others mainly to Protestant Churches. In addition, there are also a synagogue
and a mosque
. To describe the more remarkable ones, we can divide Brno into three areas: city centre (inside the former walls), earlier suburbs (from the 1850s to after World War I
) and former villages and large housing estates (incorporated after World War I
, including post-World War II
developments).
– on Petrov Hill; a Gothic
church rebuilt in the Baroque
style during the 18th century, later partially reconstructed in the Neo-Gothic style, two characteristic towers (81 m high) since 1905; cathedral
since 1777
– in Dominican Square (Dominikánské náměstí); a Baroque
church from the 17th century, until the 1780s
a church of the Dominican Order
; later (1905 to 1950) used by the Redemptorists; part of former monastery buildings serves as the New City Hall (Nová radnice) of Brno
– church of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
, a Baroque
building from the 17th century; the Crypt under the church is a unique air-circulation system providing natural mummification
of buried bodies
– a Baroque
church from 1650s, built for the Franciscans on the spot of an older one that originated from a synagogue closed after expulsion of the Jews
in the 15th century; the Franciscans resided here until 1780s
; later the church (and adjacent monastery) belonged to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
(1912-1950) and since 1991 it has been administered by the Congregatio Fratrum Sanctissimi Sacramenti
– former Ursuline
church, nowadays closed
– Church of St. John the Baptist and John the Apostle, since the Middle Ages
a part of the Minorite monastery; originally Gothic
church reconstructed in the Baroque
style during 1720s-1730s; in that time the Loreto Chapel with Holy Stairs was built next to the church
– a Baroque
church of the Jesuits, the only remain of a Jesuit College from the 16th/17th centuries, interior partly from the 18th century
– originally the parish church of the non-Slavonic inhabitants of Brno, built from 14th to 16th centuries predominantly in the Gothic
style; the spire (from 1592) is 92m high (the 7th highest building in the Czech Republic
and the tallest in Brno). It is often mistakenly called St Jacob's.
– a Baroque
church with a monumental facade from 1665–1675 on the spot of the Gothic
one damaged in the Thirty Years' War
; since 1350 a part of an Augustinian monastery, planned as a burial place of Moravian
rulers (Margrave Jobst
is buried there); in 1780s the Augustinians moved to Staré Brno
– built in the 19th century for Czech
-speaking Protestants
– built in 1860s in Neo-Gothic style for especially German
-speaking Protestants (till the expulsion of Germans after World War II)
– built in 1930–1931 at the foot of Špilberk Hill
– originally a Cistercian Convent, from the 1780s
a monastery of Augustinians transferred from St. Thomas Church in the city centre; famous for its association with Gregor Mendel
, who served as its abbot from 1868 to 1884
– a Baroque
church of the Brothers Hospitallers
with a hospital in the Vienna (Vídeňská) Street
– finished in 1935
– situated in Žabovřesky, Help of Christians from 1990s
– situated in Královo Pole
, built in 1370s as a part of Carthusian
monastery (founded 1375, abolished 1782
), later reconstructed in Baroque
style
– situated in Zábrdovice, a Baroque
church from the 1660s (interior from the 18th century), a part of the former Premonstratensian
monastery abolished in 1780s
with St. Cunigunde Church (dedicated 1211); it serves as a hospital
– situated in Husovice, with Art Nouveau
elements, finished 1910; since 1990s administered by the Franciscans
– situated in Židenice, finished 1935
– situated in Trnitá, built in 1910s in Art Nouveau
style to replace the demolished St. Stephen Church
– situated in Komárov, started in the beginning of the 12th century (the oldest church in Brno), later rebuilt
– a functionalistic
building from 1928-1929
– the only remaining one of Brno synagogues, a functionalistic
building from 1930s
– in the Vienna (Vídeňská) Street; the first mosque in the Czech Republic
(opened 1998), with no minaret
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
belong to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, others mainly to Protestant Churches. In addition, there are also a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. To describe the more remarkable ones, we can divide Brno into three areas: city centre (inside the former walls), earlier suburbs (from the 1850s to after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
) and former villages and large housing estates (incorporated after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, including post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
developments).
Catholic
- Cathedral of St. Peter and PaulCathedral of St. Peter and Paul, BrnoThe Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Brno is located on the Petrov hill in Brno-Center. It is a national cultural monument and one of the most important architectural monuments of South Moravia...
– on Petrov Hill; a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church rebuilt in the Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style during the 18th century, later partially reconstructed in the Neo-Gothic style, two characteristic towers (81 m high) since 1905; cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
since 1777
- St. Michael's Church
– in Dominican Square (Dominikánské náměstí); a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church from the 17th century, until the 1780s
Edict on Idle Institutions
The Edict on Idle Institutions was one of over 10,000 ordinances issued by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor pertaining to religious issues. Promulgated in 1780, it outlawed contemplative monastic orders. The act permitted only monastic orders that dealt with teaching, nursing and other practical work...
a church of the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
; later (1905 to 1950) used by the Redemptorists; part of former monastery buildings serves as the New City Hall (Nová radnice) of Brno
- Church of the Holy Cross
– church of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
, a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
building from the 17th century; the Crypt under the church is a unique air-circulation system providing natural mummification
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
of buried bodies
- St. Mary Magdalene's Church
– a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church from 1650s, built for the Franciscans on the spot of an older one that originated from a synagogue closed after expulsion of the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in the 15th century; the Franciscans resided here until 1780s
Edict on Idle Institutions
The Edict on Idle Institutions was one of over 10,000 ordinances issued by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor pertaining to religious issues. Promulgated in 1780, it outlawed contemplative monastic orders. The act permitted only monastic orders that dealt with teaching, nursing and other practical work...
; later the church (and adjacent monastery) belonged to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament is a Catholic religious congregation of priests, deacons, and Brothers whose ideal of life is to become living witnesses of the Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian life. By their life and activities, they assist the Church in her efforts to form...
(1912-1950) and since 1991 it has been administered by the Congregatio Fratrum Sanctissimi Sacramenti
- St. Joseph's Church
– former Ursuline
Ursuline
The word Ursuline is used to describe the following:* The Ursulines, a Catholic religious order.Several schools named after the Ursuline religious order, including several named Ursuline Academy.Ursuline Academy or similar may refer to:...
church, nowadays closed
- St. Johns' Church with the Loreto Chapel
– Church of St. John the Baptist and John the Apostle, since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
a part of the Minorite monastery; originally Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church reconstructed in the Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style during 1720s-1730s; in that time the Loreto Chapel with Holy Stairs was built next to the church
- Church of the Assumption
– a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church of the Jesuits, the only remain of a Jesuit College from the 16th/17th centuries, interior partly from the 18th century
- St. James's Church
– originally the parish church of the non-Slavonic inhabitants of Brno, built from 14th to 16th centuries predominantly in the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style; the spire (from 1592) is 92m high (the 7th highest building in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and the tallest in Brno). It is often mistakenly called St Jacob's.
- St. Thomas's Church
– a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church with a monumental facade from 1665–1675 on the spot of the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
one damaged in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
; since 1350 a part of an Augustinian monastery, planned as a burial place of Moravian
March of Moravia
The March or Margraviate of Moravia, was a marcher state, sometimes de facto independent and varyingly within the power of the Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia...
rulers (Margrave Jobst
Jobst of Moravia
Jobst of Moravia, Jobst von Mähren from the House of Luxembourg was the eldest son of Margrave John Henry of Moravia, the younger brother of Emperor Charles IV....
is buried there); in 1780s the Augustinians moved to Staré Brno
St Thomas's Abbey, Brno
St Thomas's Abbey in Brno a big austrian church]] located in the Czech Republic. The geneticist and Abbot Gregor Mendel was its most famous religious leader to date, and between 1856 and 1863 conducted his experiments on pea plants in the monastery garden...
Protestant and Orthodox
- Bethlehem Church
– built in the 19th century for Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
-speaking Protestants
- Comenius Church
– built in 1860s in Neo-Gothic style for especially German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking Protestants (till the expulsion of Germans after World War II)
- St. Wenceslas (Orthodox) Church
– built in 1930–1931 at the foot of Špilberk Hill
Catholic
- Staré Brno (Augustinian Abbey)St Thomas's Abbey, BrnoSt Thomas's Abbey in Brno a big austrian church]] located in the Czech Republic. The geneticist and Abbot Gregor Mendel was its most famous religious leader to date, and between 1856 and 1863 conducted his experiments on pea plants in the monastery garden...
– originally a Cistercian Convent, from the 1780s
Edict on Idle Institutions
The Edict on Idle Institutions was one of over 10,000 ordinances issued by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor pertaining to religious issues. Promulgated in 1780, it outlawed contemplative monastic orders. The act permitted only monastic orders that dealt with teaching, nursing and other practical work...
a monastery of Augustinians transferred from St. Thomas Church in the city centre; famous for its association with Gregor Mendel
Gregor Mendel
Gregor Johann Mendel was an Austrian scientist and Augustinian friar who gained posthumous fame as the founder of the new science of genetics. Mendel demonstrated that the inheritance of certain traits in pea plants follows particular patterns, now referred to as the laws of Mendelian inheritance...
, who served as its abbot from 1868 to 1884
- St. Leopold's Church
– a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church of the Brothers Hospitallers
Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God
The Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God are a Roman Catholic order founded in 1572. They are also known commonly as the Fatebenefratelli, meaning "Do-Good Brothers" in Italian.-History:...
with a hospital in the Vienna (Vídeňská) Street
- St. Augustine's Church
– finished in 1935
- Salesian church of Our Lady
– situated in Žabovřesky, Help of Christians from 1990s
- Holy Trinity Church (former Charterhouse)
– situated in Královo Pole
Královo Pole
Královo Pole indoor arena was an indoor sporting arena located in Brno, Czech Republic. The capacity of the arena was 10,200 people. It opened in 1947 and closed in 1998....
, built in 1370s as a part of Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery (founded 1375, abolished 1782
Edict on Idle Institutions
The Edict on Idle Institutions was one of over 10,000 ordinances issued by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor pertaining to religious issues. Promulgated in 1780, it outlawed contemplative monastic orders. The act permitted only monastic orders that dealt with teaching, nursing and other practical work...
), later reconstructed in Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style
- Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church (former Premonstratensian Abbey)
– situated in Zábrdovice, a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church from the 1660s (interior from the 18th century), a part of the former Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
monastery abolished in 1780s
Edict on Idle Institutions
The Edict on Idle Institutions was one of over 10,000 ordinances issued by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor pertaining to religious issues. Promulgated in 1780, it outlawed contemplative monastic orders. The act permitted only monastic orders that dealt with teaching, nursing and other practical work...
with St. Cunigunde Church (dedicated 1211); it serves as a hospital
- Church of the Sacred Heart
– situated in Husovice, with Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
elements, finished 1910; since 1990s administered by the Franciscans
- Church of St. Cyril and Methodius
– situated in Židenice, finished 1935
- Church of the Immaculate Conception
– situated in Trnitá, built in 1910s in Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style to replace the demolished St. Stephen Church
- St. Giles's Church
– situated in Komárov, started in the beginning of the 12th century (the oldest church in Brno), later rebuilt
Protestant
- HussiteCzechoslovak Hussite ChurchThe Czechoslovak Hussite Church is a Christian Church which separated from the Roman Catholic Church after World War I in former Czechoslovakia. It traces its tradition back to the Hussite reformers and acknowledges Jan Hus as its predecessor...
Church in Botanická Street
– a functionalistic
Functionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
building from 1928-1929
- HussiteCzechoslovak Hussite ChurchThe Czechoslovak Hussite Church is a Christian Church which separated from the Roman Catholic Church after World War I in former Czechoslovakia. It traces its tradition back to the Hussite reformers and acknowledges Jan Hus as its predecessor...
Church in Královo Pole - HussiteCzechoslovak Hussite ChurchThe Czechoslovak Hussite Church is a Christian Church which separated from the Roman Catholic Church after World War I in former Czechoslovakia. It traces its tradition back to the Hussite reformers and acknowledges Jan Hus as its predecessor...
Church in Židenice - EvangelicalEvangelical Church of Czech BrethrenThe Protestant Church of Czech Brethren , was formed in 1918 in Czechoslovakia through the unification of the Protestant churches of the Lutheran and Reformed confessions...
Church in Židenice
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Meetinghouse on Sochor Street in the Žabovřesky District.
Non-Christian places of worship
- Synagogue in the Skořepka Street
– the only remaining one of Brno synagogues, a functionalistic
Functionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
building from 1930s
- Mosque
– in the Vienna (Vídeňská) Street; the first mosque in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(opened 1998), with no minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
Joined villages and large housing estates
- Horní Heršpice – St. Clement Hofbauer Church
- Přízřenice – St. Margaret Church
- Starý Lískovec – St. John of Nepomuk Church
- Komín – St. Lawrence Church
- Bystrc – Church of St. John the Baptist and John the Apostle
- Žebětín – St. Bartholomew Church
- Řečkovice – St. Lawrence Church
- Soběšice – Church of the Immaculate Conception
- Obřany – St. Wenceslaus Church
- Líšeň – St. Giles Church
- Slatina – Holy Cross Church
- Tuřany – Church of the Annunciation
- Tuřany – HussiteCzechoslovak Hussite ChurchThe Czechoslovak Hussite Church is a Christian Church which separated from the Roman Catholic Church after World War I in former Czechoslovakia. It traces its tradition back to the Hussite reformers and acknowledges Jan Hus as its predecessor...
Church