Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Slavkov u Brna)

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Slavkov u Brna is a late-18th-century classicist church standing in the historic centre of the Czech town of Slavkov u Brna (better known internationally under its German name, Austerlitz), in the Vyškov District of the South Moravian Region. It ranks among the more distinctive examples of church architecture from the Josephine reform era in Moravia, marked by a restrained yet monumental form and a tight architectural bond with the neighbouring rectory.

Why was a new church built here in the first place?

The site previously held a Gothic church dedicated to St James, which partly collapsed in 1757. Declared unsafe, the old building was eventually torn down. The new church was commissioned by Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg, lord of the nearby Slavkov chateau and one of the most influential statesmen in the Habsburg monarchy of his time. Construction of the present building took place between 1786 and 1789 on his initiative.

Who designed the building?

The design came from Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg, a Viennese court architect associated with several imperial commissions. His plan reflected a new approach to church architecture, shaped by the Enlightenment-driven Josephine reforms, favouring a simplified structural form and a functional interior over the ornate Baroque style of previous decades.

What does the church look like architecturally?

The building has a single-nave layout, roughly 33.5 metres long and 17.5 metres wide. Both longer walls of the nave contain three shallow altar niches each, and the structure is lit by characteristic semi-circular thermal windows typical of classicist architecture of the period. The church forms a compact urban ensemble together with the rectory, whose two wings extend from the north side, right next to the church tower.

Is the building protected as a heritage site?

The entire church-and-rectory complex was listed as a cultural monument in Czechia in 1958. Between 1995 and 2016 it underwent a comprehensive renovation covering both the interior and the exterior, which is why the building remains in good condition today.

Where exactly is the church located?

Slavkov u Brna lies on the south-eastern edge of the greater Brno area, in the South Moravian Region, and is widely known as the site associated with the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz. The Church of the Resurrection of Christ stands in the town's historic core, close to the local chateau, the former seat of the Kaunitz family.

Frequently asked questions

What is the church called in Czech? Kostel Vzkříšení Páně, which translates directly as the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord.

Which country is Slavkov u Brna in? It is a town in Czechia, in the South Moravian Region — not to be confused with any similarly spelled place elsewhere, since the names can easily cause mix-ups.

When was the current church building constructed? Between 1786 and 1789, replacing an earlier Gothic church of St James that had partially collapsed.

Who commissioned the church? Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg, owner of the nearby Slavkov chateau.

Is the church a protected heritage site? Yes, the whole church-and-rectory complex has been listed as a cultural monument since 1958 and underwent a thorough renovation between 1995 and 2016.