A book about the centenary of the Stone Quarter in Brno is being created

Brno – Kamenná kolonie, Kamenka or Skala – these are the names under which the people of Brno know the picturesque cluster of houses not far from the city center, yet with a rural atmosphere. The district was established 100 years ago as an emergency settlement in a former stone quarry. Its history and present will be brought closer by a new book that Martin Reiner, holder of the Magnesia Litera Award for the novel Poet, is working on with colleagues. Kamenka is a unique place without a counterpart in the Czech Republic, said Reiner.

The book will be published at the end of November, and it will include photographs, historical information, and authentic testimonies from dozens of people who have lived or are living in the district. "It will intertwine the stories of great and small histories. The hard life of the proletariat before World War II, the war itself with bombing that claimed its victims here as well, the dark 1950s that paradoxically were not so dark here in Kamenka," described Reiner.

The comprehensive book further addresses the events of 1968 and 1989, the wild 1990s, and the following decades, including the revival of traditions such as holidays and Carnival. Artists, bohemians, and students have long loved the district, and today many families with children live there, attracted by the calm atmosphere and cohesive community.

Alongside writer and publisher Reiner, Radim Horák, Jarmila Slaninová, and Bára Reinerová also worked on the book. Horák is an architect who has lived in the Stone Quarter for 20 years, has a long-term interest in its history, and also serves as a guide for Brno's tourist and information center. He has gathered a wealth of material that made the book possible.

Slaninová has lived in the district since 1974 and, together with Reinerová, conducted dozens of interviews with local people. Thanks to two theses from the 70s and 80s, the authors of the book also had recorded testimonies from witnesses who founded the emergency colony in 1925.

The finances for publishing the book are being raised by the publisher Druhé město through a campaign on the HitHit portal. It started today, and within a month, the organizers aim to raise 120,000 CZK from supporters.

The unique atmosphere of the Stone Quarter was also captured this year in the album Skala. The recording was prepared by musicians who are connected with Kamenka. The album was launched in June at the Kamenka Open festival.