Památník 1. máje 1890

The Memorial to May 1, 1890 stands in Pisárky park in Brno, close to the Anthropos pavilion and the site of the former Pisárky shooting range. It marks the spot where the city's first Labor Day celebration took place on May 1, 1890.

What does this memorial commemorate?

The memorial marks one of the defining moments in the history of Brno's labor movement. On May 1, 1890, the city's first Labor Day celebration was held right here in Pisárky, bringing together Czech and German workers' choral societies that were active in Brno at the time. To ensure the event would be organized jointly rather than along ethnic lines, representatives of these societies met a month earlier, on April 1, 1890, and agreed on how the celebration would unfold. The gathering itself opened with a joint singing of the "Song of Labor," performed in both Czech and German — a deliberate gesture of solidarity across the city's linguistic divide.

The memorial also reaches back further, to 1869. A workers' assembly held in a nearby building that year saw participants pledge their support for the program of the First International. This earlier episode is regarded as one of the first expressions of organized class consciousness among Brno's workers, predating the 1890 events by two decades.

What does the memorial look like?

The monument's current form dates to 2010, when it was rebuilt to a design by sculptor Miloš Slezák and architect Antonín Hladík. Its centerpiece is a tall, roughly hewn stone obelisk with large, deeply carved inscriptions in its upper section. Flanking it are two horizontal granite blocks with deliberately jagged, fractured edges — a raw, industrial finish that echoes the working-class subject of the memorial.

The obelisk bears the inscription "Práce buď čest" ("Let work be honored"). One of the granite blocks records that the city's first Labor Day celebration took place on this very spot on May 1, 1890, drawing participants from Brno and its surroundings. The other block recalls the 1869 workers' assembly and its pledge to the First International's program.

Where exactly is the memorial located?

The memorial stands in a park in the Pisárky district, administratively part of Brno-střed, directly next to the Anthropos pavilion and the grounds of the former Pisárky shooting range. It's a quiet, green corner of the city, popular with walkers and cyclists using the paths along the Svratka river.

Why is it worth a visit?

For anyone interested in Central Europe's social history, the memorial is a tangible trace of the birth of the labor movement in Brno — a city that was one of the Habsburg monarchy's major industrial centers in the 19th century. It also fits neatly into a walk around Pisárky's other attractions, including the nearby Anthropos pavilion with its exhibition on human prehistory.

Frequently asked questions

When was the memorial built? The event it commemorates took place in 1890, but the memorial's current form dates from a 2010 reconstruction.

Who designed the current memorial? The 2010 reconstruction was designed by sculptor Miloš Slezák and architect Antonín Hladík.

What does the inscription mean? The main inscription, "Práce buď čest," translates as "Let work be honored," reflecting the memorial's labor-movement theme.

How do you get to the memorial? It's located in Pisárky park, near the Anthropos pavilion, in the Brno-střed district.

Are there other attractions nearby? Yes — the Anthropos pavilion and the former Pisárky shooting range site are right next door, and the surrounding area has walking paths along the Svratka river.