So, is this supposed to be a giant cock/dildo?
No, the clock symbolizes a bullet.
Why?
It reminds the 1645 battle of Brno, in which the town defended Swedish army by a smart trick: the Swedish wanted to abandon the fight if they wouldn’t have conquered the town until 12 a.m. 12 p.m. – so people of Brno chimed noon earlier, at 11 a.m.
What does the clock do at 11 a.m.?
There is a small glass ball falling through the clock every day at 11 a.m. If you are lucky, you can catch it in one of four holes in the bottom of the clock.
What is it made of and who created it?
The clock is made of south-african granite. It was designed by Oldřich Rujbr and Petr Kameník.
The clock is standing in front of the Omega shopping mall.
How much did the clock cost?
CZK 12,000,000, i.e. €500,000.
Huh. But how can I tell what time it is?
It is not easy, but you can follow this manual:
It is impossible to get an exact time, but at least you know what hour it is.
Do people in Brno like this?
It depends – most of them is confused and quite upset, due to the price and to the fact that it is difficult to read the exact time. However, it is still a quite funny piece of postmodern art, just like the famous Entropa was. Some people, including me, appreciate that.
There are many jokes about the clock, such is: “It has balls and it is erected in Brno. What is it?”
Where can I find it?
In the central square, “náměstí Svobody”.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
some politician is 6.000.000 czech crowns wealthier.,,,, this is a hughe fraud …
The English version is much appreciated, but with all the native-speaking English expats around, could the article get proofed before publication first? For example, the difference between 12a.m. and 11a.m. is eleven hours, not one. Noon, 12 o’clock, is 12p.m. That mistake changes the meaning of Brno’s history.
Sorry for that a.m./p.m. mistake, I just corrected it.
Also: What do – DOES the clock do at 11 a.m.?
I would argue with Anonymous expat. I can only assume he/she is american where they misleadingly refer to 12 noon as 12pm. AM stands for ANTE MERIDIAN, and PM for POST MERIDIAN, so at noon the meridian is above your head and therefore, neither am or pm is correct. In England we say 12 noon or 12 midday as opposed to 12 midnight.
Americans are not the only ones that can make mistakes or have a different view of things. :)
+1 to Richard (but “meridiem”). Noon is neither pm nor am. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock#Confusion_at_noon_and_midnight
meh.