The Long Path to the New Moravian Diet Building

Abstract

This study examines the politically charged process that led to the construction of the Moravian Provincial Diet building in Brno between 1863 and 1878. This involved, in fact, a fifteen-year debate on whether to build a new or renovate the historic House of Estates. The issue quickly became intertwined with early manifestations of Czech vs German national rhetoric. An open architectural competition in 1867–1868 failed to produce a satisfactory design, despite a noteworthy Neo-Gothic proposal by August Prokop and others. Subsequent attempts to renovate the existing House of Estates—including plans by Theophil Hansen—proved technically and financially infeasible. Ultimately, the deputies directly invited several Vienna-based architects to submit designs, finally selecting a Neo-Renaissance project by Anton Hefft and Robert Raschka. Constructed between 1875 and 1878, the new building was meant to embody stability, prosperity and unity through its monumental architecture and rich allegorical decoration. The case illustrates the complex interplay of nationalism, bureaucracy, architectural ambition, and financial constraints in shaping Moravian political representation during the late nineteenth century.