Governor Jan Grolich has signed a memorandum for the construction of a Holocaust Documentation Center in South Moravia. Credit: JMK.
Brno, Nov 10 (BD) – Last week, South Moravian Governor Jan Grolich (KDU-CSL) approved a project for a new centre in the region, which will on one hand serve as a reminder of the Holocaust, and on the other promote Jewish culture among young people.
“We must not forget the dark sides of our history,” said Grolich. “It is good to pass the lessons on to future generations. If the facts are captured in a fun and interactive way, we will make students more interested in our past.”
The project aims to provide a lasting reminder of the tragic events of the Holocaust, while at the same time providing a panoramic picture of the history of the Jewish community, who have lived in South Moravia since the 12th century.
The architect who will design the building has not yet been announced, but some of the most prestigious architectural firms in the world are in the running.
“We have agreed with our fellow architects Jakub Kynčl and David Mikulášek to invite five world-class studios – and this has already happened. Herzog & de Meuron, the Dutch MVRDV, Kengo Kuma & Associates, Cino Zucchi Architetti and Bjarke Ingels Group should therefore compete. Without exception, these are the big names in contemporary world architecture and the winner should be known around mid-May 2022,” said writer and publisher Martin Reiner, who is backing the project.
The center will be built opposite the Grand Hotel in Brno. “The museum will take up about two-thirds of the building and will be as modern a museum as the building it is in,” added Reiner. “It will be a multimedia and interactive museum, not stacked with collectibles, but mostly filled with powerful stories that will remain. In the same building, however, there will also be a conference and projection room, a gallery for temporary exhibitions, a library, an educational center for children and a cafeteria.”
