Brno - Brno Today

Brno Today

• Over the past two decades Brno evolved into an important university city, the number of students of higher education institutions reached 89 thousand in 2010. The city also became home to a number of institutions directly related to research and development, like the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), or the International Clinical Research Center in Brno (ICRC). The city is also gaining importance in various fields of engineering, especially in software development, there is a number of companies focused on development operating in Brno. For example, AVG Technologies (headquarters), IBM (Delivery Centre Central Europe Brno), AT&T (American Telephone and Telephone) Honeywell (Honeywell Global Design Center Brno), Siemens, SGI (CZ headquarters), Red Hat (CZ headquarters), Motorola, etc.
• The Brno Exhibition Centre is the city's premier attraction for international business visitors. Annually, over one million visitors attend over 40 professional trade fairs and business conferences held here. The exhibition and convention industry contributes heavily to the region’s economy. Thanks to its excellent infrastructure and modern facilities, the Brno Exhibition Centre has a prominent position in the region.
• Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, named after Leoš Janáček, was founded in 1947 and is one of two academies of music and drama in the Czech Republic. It holds the annual Leoš Janáček Competition.
• Masaryk University, located in Brno, is the second-largest public university in the Czech Republic and leading higher education institution in Moravia. Today, it consists of nine faculties, with more than 190 departments, institutes and clinics. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant institutions for education and research in the Czech Republic and a respected Central European university.
• Špilberk Castle, originally a royal castle, but from the 17th century a fortress and feared prison (e.g. Carbonari) is one of the city's principal monuments, as is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. The cathedral was built during the 14th and 15th centuries.
• Ignis Brunensis, an international fireworks competition, is held each June. The show attracts more than 1,000,000 spectators each year.
• Villa Tugendhat, an example of functionalistic architecture designed by Mies van der Rohe built in the late 1920s close to the centre of the city, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001. Another renowned architect who significantly shaped Brno was Arnošt Wiesner. Many of his functionalistic buildings can be found all around the city.
• The Brno University of Technology was established in 1899, and now it ranks among the biggest universities in Brno. There is the Czech Technology Park adjacent to the university campus of the Brno University of Technology in Královo Pole.
• Every September, Brno is home to a large wine festival (Slavnosti vína) to celebrate the harvest in the surrounding wine-producing region.
• Hantec is a unique dialect that originated in Brno.
• Brno is the home to the highest courts in the Czech judiciary. The Supreme Court is on Burešova Street, the Supreme Administrative Court is on Moravské náměstí (English: Moravian Square), and the Constitutional Court is on Joštova Street, and the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office of the Czech Republic is on Jezuitská street.
• Brno is home to a Synagogue and the largest Jewish cemetery in Moravia. A Jewish population lived in Brno as early as the 13th century, and remnants of tombstones can be traced back to as early as 1349. The functionalist synagogue was built between 1934 and 1936. While there were 12,000 members of the Brno Jewish community in 1938, only 1,000 survived the Nazi persecution during Germany's occupation in World War II. Today, the cemetery and synagogue are maintained by a Brno Jewish community once again.
• Brno is also home to the only Czech mosque, founded in 1998.