Protestant church in Brno-Židenice

The Protestant Church in Brno-Židenice is a functionalist house of worship belonging to the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, standing on Jílkova Street in Brno's Židenice district. Built between 1934 and 1935 to a design by engineer Miloslav Tejc, the building is listed as a Czech cultural monument.

How did the Protestant congregation in Židenice get started?

The first Protestant families settled in Židenice as early as 1881, but organized pastoral work only took shape in 1891, when the community opened its first Sunday school. As the number of Czech Protestants in the district grew, a preaching station was established in 1921 on the initiative of Reverend Václav Pokorný, meeting for some time in makeshift temporary premises. The parish congregation was formally constituted on 7 April 1929.

What is the smaller building standing in the garden behind the church?

Before the present church existed, the congregation had already built its own prayer hall - modeled on a Baptist prayer hall in Lipová - which was solemnly opened and consecrated on 14 September 1924. That modest structure, still standing today in the garden behind the main church, served as the congregation's first permanent meeting place until the growing community raised the means and need for a larger building.

How was the current church built?

Construction of the main church ran from 6 August 1934 to 2 June 1935, based on the design of engineer Miloslav Tejc. The building reflects the forms typical of 1930s religious architecture in Central Europe - clean geometric volumes, restrained detailing and generous glazing characteristic of the functionalist style. It is now protected under the Czech register of cultural monuments.

Where does the congregation hold services today?

The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Židenice holds regular services in the church on Jílkova Street, and the parish also maintains a preaching station in Blansko, where services take place in a wooden chapel.

FAQ

When was the church built? The current building dates from 1934-1935, although the congregation itself had been active in the district since the late 19th century.

Who designed it? The architect was engineer Miloslav Tejc; the church is built in the functionalist style.

Is the building protected as a monument? Yes, it is listed as a Czech cultural monument.

What stands in the garden behind the church? A former prayer hall from 1924, modeled on a Baptist prayer hall in Lipová - the congregation's first permanent meeting place before the main church was built.

Does the congregation hold services anywhere else? Yes, besides the church in Židenice, the parish maintains a preaching station in Blansko, housed in a wooden chapel.