WW2

Have you ever been walking down the streets of Brno and thinking about what do their names mean?

• Náměstí svobody (the central square) – “The freedom square”, since the declaration of independence in 1918. It also had been called “the lower market”, “the big square”, “Franz Josef square” and “Hitler Platz” (for two days in 1939, but then it was renamed to “Viktoriaplatz”; rumor has it it was because Hitler disliked the place.
• Masarykova – named after Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first Czechoslovak president (1850-1937)
• Česká – “Czech st.”, because Bohemians used to take their Sunday walks there in the 19th century. (Ironically, Germans were gathering around Masarykova st. then).
• Joštova - named after Jobst of Moravia, who ruled Moravia in the 13th and 14th century.
• Zelný trh – “the vegetable market”.
• Dominikánské náměstí - named after the Order of Preachers, a.k.a. dominicans.
• Husova – named after the 15th century church reformer John Hus.
• There are various streets in the old town that got their name from the craftsmen who worked there – Pekařská (Baker st.), Zámečnická (Locksmith st.), Rybářská (Fishermen st.), Zahradnická (Gardener st.), Řeznická (Butcher st.), Cihlářská (Brickmaker st.).
• Moravské náměstí – “Moravian square”; formerly “The Red army square”.
• Veveří – named after the castle of Veveří, to which it points.
• Lidická – the village of Lidice was destroyed by Gestapo in 1942; its inhabitants were killed in reprisal for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. There are streets named after Lidice all around the world.
• Milady Horákové - This social democrat politician was executed by communists in 1950. She was the only woman block killed for political reasons in the Eastern block (outside Albania).
• Kraví hora - the “cow mountain”. People call it “Monte Bů”, i.e. “Monte Moo”.

And finally, a funny fact: there are Úzká (Tiny st.) and Vlhká (Wet st.)  next to the Church of Virgin Mary in the eastern part of Brno.

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