In Suffering and Fighting – the Jews of Brno in Fateful Moments of the 20th Century

The Moravian regional centre, Brno, has a relatively rich Jewish history. In the early 13th century, Jewish merchants established a settlement in the south-east corner of the town, around the lower part of what are now Masarykova street, Františkánská street, and Římské Square. After being expelled in 1454, the Jews found refuge in the surrounding manorial towns of Boskovice, Rousínov, Austerlitz, Dolní Kounice, Ivančice, and Pohořelice. For the following four centuries, they were banned from staying inside the walled royal town, they could only attend town markets with a special permit. A substantial change occurred in the revolutionary year of 1848, and again in 1867 with the drawing up of the constitution, when the Jews acquired civil rights. From then, the Jewish population of Brno grew rapidly thanks to the migration from neighbouring old Jewish municipalities, with a total of more than 11,000 Israelites living in the town before World War II. At that time, the emancipated Jews of Brno significantly contributed to the social, economic, and cultural expansion of their town, engaging immediately with economic, political, and cultural life. The social life of the Jewish community developed through the construction of synagogues and other structures as well as the establishment of institutions, foundation, and societies.