BRNO - History
History of Brno goes back to the Great Moravian Empire. In around 1000 a settlement was established on a ford across the River Svratka, now known as Staré Brno (Old Brno), and it was this that gave the city its name. Foreign colonists started to arrive from the 13th century: Germans, Flemish and Walloons. A Jewish quarter was also formed in the area that today forms the lower end of Masarykova Street. Legal support for the development of the city came with the large and small privileges that were conferred upon the city in 1243 by Václav I, King of Bohemia. The city was then surrounded by fortifications with five gates. The Spilberk castle was rebuilt in a Gothic style in the 13th century. Thanks to the right that the city possessed of holding annual markets, international trade grew. This meant that in-depth knowledge of legal regulations had to be gained, and so in 1355 Jan, the town hall scribe, compiled a book of regulations for the city aldermen, which became the legal norm for several other cities. A reeve and a city council of twelve aldermen led the city. From the mid-14th century Brno became a center for Moravian regional assemblies, which took place alternately in Brno and Olomouc. These regional authority organs made decisions on political, legal and financial questions and were responsible for the upkeep of regional records. During the Hussite Wars the city remained faithful to King Zikmund, and the Hussites twice laid siege to the city, in 1428 and 1430, both times in vain. In 1643 and 1645 Brno was the only city to successfully defend the Swedish besiegements, Following the Thirty Years' War the city became an impregnable baroque fortress. The position of Brno was confirmed with the establishment of a bishopric in 1777. In the 18th century development of industry and trade began to take place, which continued into the next century. In Brno there was a concentration of textile and engineering industries, which rapidly adopted the most modern technology. In 1839 the first train arrived in Brno. Together with the development of industry came the growth of the suburbs, and the city lost its fortress characteristics, as did the pilberk castle, which became a notorious prison. During the First Republic Brno was the second city after Prague - both in terms of its population, and also in importance, as it was the capital city of the Moravia/Silesia Province. It was during this period that the Masaryk University was established, and the Brno Fairgrounds were opened. The city was not only a center of industry and commerce, but also of education and culture. Famous personages who have worked in the city include Leo Janáček, Viktor Kaplan, Jiří Mahen and Bohuslav Fuchs.
