In a school in Brno, plans by Dušan Jurkovič from 1901 were found

Brno - At the Brno Secondary Gardening School, the original plans of architect Dušan Jurkovič were found, according to which the school was built. They bear his signature, a period seal, and the date 1901. The documents were previously considered lost. School staff had been diligently searching for them, especially last year when discussions about the monumentification of the building were underway. They were unsuccessful. Now, during cleanup, they unexpectedly discovered them among meeting minutes and payroll records from the 1970s, said Alena Skálová, head of the school’s department, to ČTK. Museum curators are interested in the documents.
    According to Skálová, the discovery has dispelled speculation that the author of the school building might not be the famous architect at all, but his students. The folder contains plans for the construction of the school building and the dormitory. The dormitory was never built. The school representative is pleased with the discovery. "Not long ago, we were worried that bulldozers would come and the building would collapse. With its inclusion in the heritage care, that danger is gone," added Skálová. The school has been on the heritage list since October. The monumentification was initiated by then-mayor of Brno-Bohunice, Robert Kotzian (ODS), when discussions about the school's extinction began.
    Martina Lehmannová from the Moravian Gallery described the discovery today as unique. According to her, the school building is Jurkovič's first work in Brno and marked the beginning of the architect's collaboration with builder Antonín Tebich, who later also built Jurkovič's villa in Brno-Žabovřesky. They divided their work on the gardening school; Jurkovič designed the façade and was responsible for the architectural expression, while Tebich handled the interior layout and division of individual rooms. "The find shows what Jurkovič did and how much he contributed," stated Lehmannová.
    The regional authority, as the founder, previously transferred the Secondary Gardening School in Brno-Bohunice to a similar school in Rajhrad near Brno. A new school building is currently being constructed there for approximately 80 million crowns. The facilities will be expanded so that students from Brno can relocate there. They are now spending their last year of education in Brno, bidding farewell with a floral exhibition in the spring, after which they will leave the area with the greenhouses and park.
    The plan has long been criticized by the Bohunice local government and supporters of the school. They argue about the school’s tradition, its excellent results in the field, and the ongoing interest in studying there. "When I realize that for 109 years that beautiful park has been nurtured with the care of students and teachers, it cannot be replaced with money at all," said Brno architect Ivan Ruller last year. He recalled that a graduate of the school is, for example, Professor and personality of landscape architecture Ivan Otruba.
    The regional authority will soon decide on the use of the abandoned school area. The land is lucrative due to its location near the center of Brno and the motorway access. Regional representatives argue that students will have better conditions in Rajhrad. Those claims were rejected by the students.