Monument of working-class movement

Monument of the Working-Class Movement stands atop Bílá hora (White Mountain), a hill in Brno's Židenice district overlooking the Juliánov neighborhood. This concrete sculpture commemorates workers' assemblies held here under social-democratic organizer Josef Hybeš.

How do you get there?

Bílá hora rises in the northeastern part of Brno, within the Židenice district, above Juliánov. The hill functions as a lookout point over the city, so reaching the monument usually means a walk along the paths leading up the slope. Visitors come both for the monument itself and for the panoramic view of Brno that opens up from the summit.

What will you see?

The monument was designed by sculptor Ladislav Martínek and architect Jiří Auermüller, and it was formally unveiled on November 12, 1967. Its centerpiece is a massive, layered concrete sculpture pierced with openings, set on an architecturally arranged plaza. Next to it stands a roughly one-meter rectangular memorial plaque made of polished brown granite.

The plaque's inscription draws on the rhetoric of the workers' movement and recalls that Brno's proletariat gathered at this site under the leadership of Josef Hybeš to fight for their rights. Hybeš — a senator, journalist, and social-democratic organizer — led workers' assemblies here from 1869 onward. The most significant of them took place on July 18, 1893, when employees of Brno's textile factories demonstrated for universal suffrage and better working conditions. Historians point out that 1893, rather than the year 1869 given on the plaque, corresponds to that landmark event — a discrepancy often noted as an error in the inscription.

The sculpture's raw concrete and geometric openings reflect the style of monumental public art typical of postwar Czechoslovakia, where scale and material weight — rather than literal depictions of figures or scenes — were used to convey the historical importance of workers' struggles.

What happened to the monument after 1989?

After 1989, the monument went through a period of neglect and damage, a fate shared by many socialist-era memorials that lost their institutional upkeep once the political system changed. In 2009, the city initiated the reconstruction of the retaining walls surrounding the monument's plaza. Since the early 2010s, the concrete structure has regularly been decorated with murals by artists Martin Kota and Stanislav Bílka, an initiative led by the Židenice district administration, which treats the site as a space for contemporary urban art.

Who is this place for?

The monument appeals to visitors interested in 20th-century Brno history and postwar monumental architecture, as well as those looking for a viewpoint away from the city center's main tourist routes. The contrast between the sculpture's austere form and the colorful murals makes it an unusual stop for street-art enthusiasts.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Monument of the Working-Class Movement in Brno commemorate? It commemorates workers' assemblies held on Bílá hora from 1869 onward under social-democratic organizer Josef Hybeš, including the July 18, 1893 demonstration by Brno textile factory workers demanding universal suffrage.

When was the monument built and who designed it? It was designed by sculptor Ladislav Martínek and architect Jiří Auermüller, and unveiled on November 12, 1967.

What is the monument made of? The main form is a layered concrete sculpture with openings, accompanied by a memorial plaque of polished brown granite.

Why is the monument covered in murals? Since the early 2010s, the Židenice district administration has commissioned artists Martin Kota and Stanislav Bílka to regularly paint murals on the concrete structure, giving the site a second life as a space for urban art.

Is there a viewpoint near the monument? Yes — Bílá hora is a hill above the Juliánov neighborhood in the Židenice district, offering views over Brno, which makes the area around the monument a popular spot for walks.