Hitler disliked Náměstí svobody, so it bore his name for only two days.

• 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.

The Brno death march (source: rozhlas.cz)

That meant a 30+ km long march, undertaken mostly by women, elderly people and children, to the border. Due to bureaucratic problems they had to return back from the border to a concentration camp in town Pohořelice – which caused death of several exhausted or infected runners, as the total lenght of the march was 56 km.

There is an interesting controversy around the fatalities estimates – some Czech historicians claim that no one was murdered during the event and only few people died because of their age or condition (quite cynical, isn’t it), while some German sources claim as much as 8,000 victims of raging Czechs and Soviets, taking a revenge for the World War II.

Wikipedia has a number quoted from publication that seems to cohere with a scientific consensus: About 700 are confirmed as dying, either by disease (shigellosis) or by murder.

The event, called Brno death march or Brünner Todesmarsch, is still a tabu in Czech society. It is rarely mentioned by media, although the situation is getting better thanks to young people interested in this part of history. It still remains to be one of the blackest moments in the history of the town.

I would rather not comment the event any more: I do not approve the concept of the collective guilt but I am not sure what would I have done in 1945 myself. I am glad that I live in an era where the biggest moral question is whether to commute by car or bike.

However: if you or someone in your family have taken a part in this event, please contact me at kasparek@brnonow.com and share your story.

Further resources

• Brno death march at Wikipedia
• Interview with one of the survivors of Brno Death March

Poster of Be Free! shows the good soldier Švejk killing Hitler-like Germans.

The premiere of drama “Be Free!” may be the most interesting event of whole season, as it shows one of the most controversial moments in the history of the town – the Brno death march.

Three weeks after the end of World War II, 20,000 Germans living in Brno (including old people and children) were expelled to Austria. They marched to the border, but due to bureaucratic problems they had to return back to a concentration camp in Pohořelice.

The death tolls span from 3 people (some Czech sources) to 8,000 (some German sources). English Wikipedia claims that there were about 700 confirmed deaths which included natural causes, diseases (shigellosis) and violent crimes.

Play “Be Free!”, directed by Jiří Honzírek (Feste theatre) premieres in Reduta theatre on November 2 (in Czech language the drama is silent). Its creators claim that they don’t want to judge the event, only show it as it was.

However, Czech news sites are filled with readers’ comments á la “How much did these Germans pay you?” and “Why don’t you rather show what the beasts did to Czechs?” It may take several more generations until we finally understand that we’re capable of purges and genocide just as any other nation.

Let this small gallery commemorate the bloody events preceding April 26, 1945, the day the Red Army conquered Brno.

A war victim being buried in front of Mahen's theatre. Note the missing pillar.

Horse artillery going down the Milady Horákové st.

Red Army passing trough Tišnovská st. for a battle at Soběšice.

The pictures have been reprinted from Vojtěch Žampach’s book about the events of April 1945, called “Směr Brno” (“Direction: Brno”). I was directly inspired by Jason Powell’s gallery Looking into the past.

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