The Wittal Villa in Brno's Pisárky will be transformed into the Center for Jewish Culture after repairs

Brno - In the Wittal family villa in Brno's Pisárky district, a Center for Jewish Culture Štetl will be established. This will be preceded by the renovation of the listed building, which dates back to the 1930s. The Museum of the City of Brno will be responsible for the project documentation for the reconstruction and the application for funding. The city council today approved the transfer of the villa to its management and the necessary funds for preparing the project. In September, the representatives will discuss this, the city hall reported in a press release.

The Wittal villa at Hroznová Street 39 was built in 1932 according to the architectural design of Heinrich Blum. Compared to his earlier, more traditionally conceived villas on the nearby Preslová Street, this house already belongs to the expressions of functionalism with an effort for its organic interpretation. "The building had been managed by the Brno-Centrum municipal district until now and had not been occupied for a long time. Only basic repairs were carried out here," stated Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

According to her, the museum will give the villa a new life. The Center for Jewish Culture, which will be established there in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Brno, will occupy the entire building, including two above-ground floors and one underground floor. Community events for the public, primarily from the local Masaryk neighborhood, could take place in the garden.

The establishment of the center is preceded by reconstruction. "As with any monument, this will be a great challenge. The main goal will be to preserve the original elements used in the construction of the house, whether it's the systems of awnings or blinds, or the flooring and terrazzo cladding," Vaňková added.

The museum aims to align the project preparation with the opening of a call from the Ministry of Finance, expected next May. In this regard, the councilors approved an investment contribution to the museum of 7.1 million crowns for the preparation of project documentation for a building permit and for the construction, which are necessary for the grant application.