Church of St. James
The Church of St. James was founded for German and Wallon settlers in the early 13th century. Originally a Romanesque church, it was rebuilt into a Gothic church (14th-16th centuries) and later reorganised in a neo-Gothic style (1870-1878).
About this building
The church is mentioned for the first time in 1231 in documents documents of Přemysl Otakar I, the first king of Bohemia. It was part of a Cistercian monastery and served the German and Walloon population of Brno. The rivalry between them and the Slav population over the Church was to last for centuries.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the church was rebuilt in a Gothic style. In 1570, the city of Brno acquired the rights to the church from the last abbess of Oslavany. The turn from the 16th to the 17th century marked the first phase of baroque renovations. A new organ and new benches were built. The trusses were repaired under the direction of Anton Ebenberger.
In 1784, the cemetery of the church was removed and the remains were taken to the ossuary under the church. In 2001, the underground ossuary (the second biggest one in Europe) was discovered and opened to the public.
After three years of repairs, the church opened to the public in 2024 with an improved visitor experience.
