Památník prvního stálého českého divadla v Brně

The Memorial to the First Permanent Czech Theatre in Brno is a small granite plaque in the heart of Brno marking the spot where, in 1884, the city's first permanent professional Czech-language theatre began its work. The original theatre building no longer stands, but the plaque on the corner of Žerotínovo náměstí and Veveří street still points to the exact location where this chapter of Moravian cultural history unfolded.

Where exactly is the memorial located?

The plaque is mounted on a building at Žerotínovo náměstí 6, in Brno's central Brno-střed district, right at the corner with Veveří street — on the site once occupied by a building known as "U Marovských". It sits in the very center of Brno, an easy walk from the city's main streets, right where the square meets Veveří.

What does the plaque actually commemorate?

Its inscription reads: "V těchto místech v bývalém domě u Marovských působilo první stálé české divadlo v Brně 1884–1952" ("On this site, in the former U Marovských house, the first permanent Czech theatre in Brno operated, 1884–1952"). The U Marovských building had originally served as an inn with a dance hall, standing at the corner of Veveří street and today's Žerotínovo náměstí (formerly known as Raduitovo náměstí). In 1883 it was purchased and adapted by a Czech cooperative society ("Družstvo") to house a Czech national theatre in Brno, modeled on the National Theatre in Prague, which had opened in 1881. Performances began in 1884, and for decades this was the city's only permanent professional Czech-language stage, continuing — according to the plaque — until 1952.

Who designed the plaque, and when was it unveiled?

The memorial was unveiled on 5 December 1984, exactly one hundred years after the theatre began operating in the U Marovských building. It was designed by Jiří Marek, with J. Chmelař as co-author, while the initiative to create it came from Miloslav Kramoliš. The plaque is carved from polished granite and combines an engraved inscription with a decorative relief of a flower bouquet — a modest but carefully crafted tribute marking the theatre's centenary.

Why does this spot matter to Brno's history?

The founding of a permanent Czech theatre in Brno in 1884 was a turning point for Czech-language culture in Moravia, in a city where German-language stages had long dominated. That the theatre had to be housed in a converted inn with a dance hall shows how limited the resources of the Czech cultural community were at the time — yet they still managed to establish their own permanent stage, following the example of the freshly opened National Theatre in Prague. Although the U Marovských building itself is gone, the plaque on Žerotínovo náměstí still marks the precise spot where that story began.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Memorial to the First Permanent Czech Theatre in Brno? It's a granite plaque commemorating the U Marovských building, home to Brno's first permanent professional Czech theatre from 1884 to 1952.

Where is the plaque located? On a building at Žerotínovo náměstí 6 in Brno-střed, at the corner with Veveří street.

When was the plaque unveiled? On 5 December 1984, on the theatre's 100th anniversary.

Who designed the plaque? Jiří Marek designed it, with J. Chmelař as co-author; Miloslav Kramoliš initiated the project.

What was the U Marovských building? A former inn with a dance hall at the corner of Veveří street and Žerotínovo náměstí, adapted in 1883 to house Brno's Czech national theatre.