Where history meets cutting-edge technology: the 650th anniversary of the Carthusian monastery

650 years ago, on August 13, 1375, Margrave John Henry of the House of Luxembourg issued the founding charter of the Carthusian monastery "Cella Trinitatis". This marked the birth of a complex that is now a historical landmark in the Královo Pole district of Brno. It is also a place where history meets state-of-the-art information technology.

The monastery was originally founded for a prior and 12 monks, so it included 12 cells for Carthusian fathers. The strict rules of coexistence of the monks of the Carthusian order, inspired by hermit ideals, were also reflected in the architectural elements. The individual cells were accessible from separate monastic gardens, towards which the windows of the cells also faced, thus preventing contact between the monks.

The monastery was repeatedly affected by war events. It was damaged during the Hussite and Czech-Hungarian wars, and suffered particularly during the Thirty Years' War. Nevertheless, it experienced a period of economic growth after the mid-18th century. Subsequently, however, it fell victim to the reforms of Joseph II, like many other church buildings in our country. The complex was turned into barracks. The military use of the complex continued until 1964, when the Czechoslovak People's Army handed it over to the Czech Technical University. Paradoxically, it was precisely the military use that helped to preserve the building and its historical value. That is why we now have before us a valuable example of a typical medieval charterhouse with subsequent Baroque modifications. The complex was given a new lease of life by renovations begun at the start of the 21st century based on a design by architect Vladislav Vrána.

Let us appreciate the places and legacies that we can pass through every day. More information about the history of the monastery and a gallery of historical images can be found HERE.