Lužánky (originally Augarten) is the largest city park in
Brno and the oldest municipal park in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
.
The park is located in the Brno-střed District and covers an area of .
History
The oldest mention of Lužánky comes from the 13th century, when a burgess from Brno called Niger donated his meadow to the Herburský Monastery. During the 16th century,
Jesuits
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
took over the site and established an ornamental garden, mainly used for meditation.
In 1786, during the rule of
Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
, the Jesuit monastery was abolished and the land was donated to the city of Brno to create the new municipal park, one of the first in
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
and the first ever built in the Czech lands. In 1792, the first fireworks were set off here. The current appearance of the park was designed by gardener Antonín Šebánek in 1840.
Lužánky Park was declared a National Monument in 1849. Later, in 1958, it was given a title of a
Czech Cultural Monument.
Facilities
In the year 1885, a pavilion, designed by Viennese architect
Ludwig Förster
Ludwig Christian Friedrich (von) Förster (8 October 1797 in Ansbach – 16 June 1863 in Bad Gleichenberg, Styria) was a German-born Austrian architect. While he was not Jewish, he is known for building Jewish synagogues and churches.
Ludwig F ...
in a
Renaissance Revival
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...
style, was built in the park for the purpose of hosting balls, concerts and parties.
The park contains many fountains, sculptures and statues. The most significant present monument commemorates the founder of Lužánky, Emperor Joseph II.
At the southeastern corner of the park are tennis and volleyball courts available for visitors.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luzanky
Brno
Parks in the Czech Republic