Church of the Immaculate Conception

Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary stands on Křenová street in the Brno-Trnitá district, in the South Moravian city of Brno, Czech Republic. This Art Nouveau parish church has served the local Catholic community for more than a century and ranks among the most distinctive religious buildings in this part of the city.

Where to find the church

The church sits at coordinates 49.192462, 16.619778, in the Brno-Trnitá district close to the city's main railway station.

Construction history

The foundation stone was laid on 18 August 1910, and construction was completed in 1913. Bishop Pavel Huyn of Brno consecrated the finished church on 18 January 1914. The design came from architect Franz Holik, who gave the building its Art Nouveau character. Bishop Huyn commissioned the church as a jubilee offering marking the 60th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I's reign, responding directly to the rapidly growing population on what was then the outskirts of Brno, an area that lacked its own parish church.

Architecture and interior

The building follows a cross-shaped floor plan and rests on a reinforced-concrete slab supported by reinforced-concrete piles, an advanced engineering solution for its time. The church measures 46 metres in length and 19 metres in width. Its main portal is decorated with a relief of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, carved in artificial stone. The interior carries a unified Art Nouveau design, and the main altar is made of white marble. The church is listed as a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Towers, bells and organ

The church tower rises 60 metres and is capped with a three-part dome clad in copper sheet. Its bells were donated by Heinrich Storek (1862-1918), a Brno foundry owner. The largest bell, named "Ave Maria" and hung in the eastern tower, measures 137 cm in diameter and weighs 1,350 kg. A second bell, dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius and hung in the western tower, measures 117 cm across and weighs 850 kg. The choir loft houses a unit-system organ built by the Rieger company of Krnov, fitted with 28 stops and two manuals with mechanical action.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the church? Architect Franz Holik designed the Art Nouveau church on Křenová street.

When was the church built? Construction ran from 1910 to 1913: the foundation stone was laid in August 1910, and the church was consecrated in January 1914.

Why was the church built? Bishop Pavel Huyn of Brno commissioned it as a jubilee church for the 60th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I's reign, to serve the fast-growing population on Brno's then-outskirts.

How tall is the church tower? The tower stands 60 metres tall and is topped with a three-part copper-clad dome.