Educational trail Modern architecture

Educational trail Modern architecture from the end of the 19th century to 2016

Jihlava is famous for its valuable Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical architecture, which is concentrated mainly in the centre of the town, inside the walls. These were broken in many places in the second half of the 19th century in connection with the extension or construction of new streets, and building development began to concentrate outside the walls in all three suburban zones, i.e. in the Špitálské, Panenské and Brtnice suburbs. The historicising, mainly neo-Renaissance, morphology of the facades of buildings, both residential, school or factory, was replaced by Art Nouveau decoration from the beginning of the 20th century onwards, and many interesting and valuable buildings were created.

The establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic was a major change for the population of Jihlava and the entire German-speaking island. The dominant position of the Czechs in Jihlava, which had been dominated by Germans, began to manifest itself in all spheres of life, as evidenced by the purely Czech architecture of public buildings and houses. Even in the case of private contracts, Czech builders and architects began to assert themselves.

The period from the end of World War II to 1989 and especially the architecture of this period is often associated with the socialist realism of the first half of the century and the subsequent grey of prefabricated concrete housing estates and industrial complexes. However, even from this period we can find a number of interesting and valuable buildings in Jihlava.

The period after 1989 is mainly associated with contracts for administrative and commercial buildings, and the street gaps are beginning to be built up with new buildings with commercial and administrative use. The prefabricated buildings have finished their construction and have not continued, currently the "prefabs" are gradually being repaired. The renovations, moving away from uniformity, are of alternating quality. Architecturally valuable public buildings, but also residential buildings and, last but not least, private dwellings continue to be built.

The nature trail will show you the development of architecture from the end of the 19th century to the 21st century. It is based on the exhibition Function and Style, held at the Gustav Mahler House in 2015. The e-book for the exhibition is available free of charge at www.mahler.cz.

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