Park Marie Restituty

Marie Restituty Park is a small but locally cherished green space in the Husovice district of Brno. Built over a former cemetery, it now serves as a quiet spot for walks, rest, and reflection on local history.

Where is the park located?

The park sits in Husovice, a district of Brno, on a gentle slope close to the neighborhood's center. It's an intimate patch of greenery used mainly by residents of the surrounding streets rather than a mass-tourism destination — more of an everyday retreat than a headline sight.

How did a cemetery become a park?

The land the park now occupies was once the Husovice cemetery, closed in 1962. After the remains were exhumed, the site was turned into a public park, which opened in 1983. It only received its current name, honoring Marie Restituta, in 1999.

Who was Marie Restituta?

The park's namesake is Helena Kafková, a nun from Husovice known by her religious name, Sister Marie Restituta. She worked as a nurse in Vienna. For her open resistance to Nazism, she was arrested in 1942 straight out of an operating room and executed the following year. The Catholic Church beatified her in 1998, recognizing her as a martyr of faith and conscience.

What can visitors see there today?

The park underwent a thorough revitalization in recent years. Its second phase began in October 2024 and was planned to run until May 2025, closing parts of the park to visitors for four months. The work focused on reshaping the pathways in the park's central section: steep slopes were eased, the upper staircase was replaced with a main walking path, and a wooden boardwalk was built among the linden trees. The project cost 12 million Czech crowns.

The renovated park now features a monument to the victims of both world wars, alongside a statue of Blessed Marie Restituta created by sculptor Radim Hanke. Together, they give the space a dual role — a place to relax, and a place to remember both the district's history and the woman it's named after.

Frequently asked questions

When was the park created? The cemetery was closed in 1962, and the public park opened in 1983. It received its present name, honoring Marie Restituta, in 1999.

Why is the park named after Marie Restituta? It commemorates Helena Kafková, a Husovice-born nun executed in 1943 for resisting Nazism and beatified by the Catholic Church in 1998.

Are there any monuments in the park? Yes — following the revitalization, a monument to the victims of both world wars and a statue of Blessed Marie Restituta by sculptor Radim Hanke were installed.

Has the park been renovated recently? Yes, the second phase of its revitalization ran from October 2024 to May 2025, reshaping the pathways and adding a new wooden boardwalk among the linden trees, at a cost of 12 million Czech crowns.

Is it a major tourist attraction? Not really — it's primarily a neighborhood park, valued by Husovice residents for its calm atmosphere and historical significance rather than as a tourist hotspot.