Editing Brno (section)

==Culture==
[[File:Lisenske slavnosti vyrez.jpg|thumb|left|People wearing the traditional Moravian [[kroje]] (Moravian national folk costumes) at a folk festival in Líšeň]]

The city spends about 30 million euro every year on culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brno.cz/fileadmin/user_upload/sprava_mesta/magistrat_mesta_brna/ORF/SR2011/Vydaje.xls|title=Schválený rozpočet provozních a kapitálových výdajů – Rekapitulace dle oddílů a paragrafů|access-date=28 September 2011|language=cs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brno.cz/fileadmin/user_upload/sprava_mesta/magistrat_mesta_brna/ORF/Souhrnny_rozpocet_2010/Rozpocet_2010.xls|title=Souhrnný rozpočet statutárního města Brna na rok 2010 – Rozpočet výdajů statutárního města Brna|access-date=28 September 2011|language=cs}}</ref> A vibrant university city with about 60,000 students, Brno is home to many museums, theatres and other cultural institutions, and also hosts a number of festivals and other cultural events.

Since the 1990s Brno has experienced a great cultural "rebirth": façades of historical monuments are being repaired and various exhibitions, shows, etc., are being established or extended. In 2007 a summit of 15 presidents of EU Member States was held in Brno.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moraviaconvention.cz/reference/|title=Reference – Moravia Convention Bureau|access-date=26 September 2011|language=cs|archive-date=16 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916094646/http://www.moraviaconvention.cz/reference/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Despite its urban character, some of the city districts still preserve traditional Moravian folklore, including folk festivals with traditional Moravian costumes, Moravian wines, folk music and dances. Unlike smaller municipalities, in Brno annual traditional Moravian folk festivals are held in several city districts, including [[Brno-Židenice|Židenice]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kalendarakci.atlasceska.cz/zidenicke-hody-brno-zidenice-7165/|title=Židenické hody – Brno Židenice |website=kalendarakci.atlasceska.cz|date=5 October 2009 |access-date=26 September 2011|language=cs}}</ref> [[Brno-Líšeň|Líšeň]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vlisni.cz/lisenske-hody|title=Líšeňské hody – portál vlisni.cz|access-date=26 September 2011|language=cs|archive-date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830051550/http://www.vlisni.cz/lisenske-hody|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Brno-Ivanovice|Ivanovice]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ivanovice.brno.cz/clanky/20070926-ci-jsou-hody-nase/|title=ČÍ JSOU HODY? NAŠE! » Městská část Brno Ivanovice|access-date=26 September 2011|language=cs|archive-date=21 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121001651/http://www.ivanovice.brno.cz/clanky/20070926-ci-jsou-hody-nase/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Hantec]] is a unique [[slang]] that originated in Brno.

===Festivals===
[[File:Ignis Brunensis 2010 Montage 1.jpg|thumb|left|Fireworks festival Ignis Brunensis on the [[Brno Reservoir|Brno Dam Lake]] (2010)]]
[[File:Tram horse tram Brno.jpg|thumb|Historical [[horse-drawn tram]] at the festival called "Brno – City in the Centre of Europe"]]
The biggest festival in Brno is the [[fireworks]] competition festival, [[Ignis Brunensis]] (Latin for "Flame of Brno"), held annually in June, part of the "Brno – City in the Centre of Europe" festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ignisbrunensis.cz/about-the-festival--579--eng.html|title=About the festival|access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref> Ignis Brunensis is the biggest show of its kind in Central Europe,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibrno.cz/kultura/35533-mesto-chysta-velkolepe-ohnostroje-jejich-festival-by-mohl-videt-milion-divaku.html|title=Brno chystá velkolepé ohňostroje, festival by mohl vidět milion diváků|access-date=26 September 2011|language=cs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concentus-moraviae.cz/VenueDetail.aspx?venueId=hpgagnkbiifaeohglnohcngenfkgnbnp|title=Brno – Concentus Moraviae|access-date=26 September 2011|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824151333/http://www.concentus-moraviae.cz/VenueDetail.aspx?venueId=hpgagnkbiifaeohglnohcngenfkgnbnp|archive-date=24 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> usually attracting 100,000–200,000 visitors to each display.<ref name="ibvisitors"/>

The international film festival ''[[Cinema Mundi International Film Festival|Cinema Mundi]]'' screens about 60 films competing for [[Academy Award|Oscar]] nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemamundi.info/eng/About-the-festival/About-the-festival|title=About the festival / About the festival / Cinema Mundi returns to Brno after one year - www.cinemamundi.info|access-date=26 September 2011}}</ref>

''Theatre World Brno'' is another international festival held annually in the city, in which Brno theatres and the city centre stage around 100 performances by national and foreign ensembles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theatreworld.cz/en/about-festival|title=Festival – DIVADELNÍ SVĚT BRNO|access-date=26 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402232430/http://www.theatreworld.cz/en/about-festival|archive-date=2 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Other festivals held regularly in Brno include the International Music Festival Brno,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mhf-brno.cz/moravsky-podzim/en/informace.asp|title=Moravian autumn – Introduction|access-date=26 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005042031/http://www.mhf-brno.cz/moravsky-podzim/en/informace.asp|archive-date=5 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> the Spilberk International Music Festival,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filharmonie-brno.cz/en/spilberk-festival-p290.html|title=Spilberk Festival – Brno Philharmonic Orchestra|access-date=26 September 2011|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160109125426/http://www.filharmonie-brno.cz/en/spilberk-festival-p290.html|archive-date=9 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Summer Shakespeare Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shakespeare.cz/en/welcome-to-summer-shakespeare-festival-2011/1/|title=Welcome to Summer Shakespeare Festival 2011, Summer Shakespeare Festival 2011, AGENTURA SCHOK, spol. s r.o., Praha|access-date=26 September 2011}}</ref>

Every September, Brno hosts a wine festival, ''Slavnosti vína'', to celebrate the harvest in the surrounding [[Czech wine|wine-producing]] region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slavnostivina.cz/?id=home&lang=en |title=Slavnostivina |publisher=slavnostivina.cz |access-date=4 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513171336/http://www.slavnostivina.cz/?id=home&lang=en |archive-date=13 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Theatres===
[[File:Reduta Theatre - Brno.jpg|thumb|Reduta Theatre, the oldest theatre in Central Europe]]
Brno has a long theatre tradition. Brno has the oldest theatre building in Central Europe, the [[Reduta Theatre]] on [[Zelný trh]].<ref name="redutatheatre">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-divadla-reduta|title=Historie divadla Reduta, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306160447/http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-divadla-reduta|archive-date=6 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first theatre plays in Brno probably took place in the 1660s in the ''City Tavern'', today's Reduta Theatre; however, the first theatre with [[Box (theatre)|boxes]] was built in this complex in 1733.<ref name="redutatheatre"/> The first documented professional Czech performance took place in 1767, again in the Reduta Theatre; the play was called ''Zamilovaný ponocný'' ({{langx|en|Watchman in Love}}) and was performed by the [[Venice Theatre Company]]. The same year, [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] performed in the theatre with his elder sister Anna Maria (Nannerl).<ref name="redutatheatre"/> In that year the Mozart family spent Christmas in Brno,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brno.cz/sprava-mesta/magistrat-mesta-brna/usek-organizacni/odbor-zahranicnich-vztahu/mezinarodni-vztahy/mezinarodni-site-mest/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/mozart-v-brne/|title=Brno – Mozart v Brně|publisher=The Statutory City of Brno|access-date=22 September 2011|language=cs|archive-date=15 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015143405/http://www.brno.cz/sprava-mesta/magistrat-mesta-brna/usek-organizacni/odbor-zahranicnich-vztahu/mezinarodni-vztahy/mezinarodni-site-mest/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/mozart-v-brne/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and their visit is commemorated by a statue of Mozart as a child in front of the Reduta Theatre. The theatre's ''Mozart Hall'' was also named after him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/photo_full/divadlo-reduta-mozartuv-sal|title=Divadlo Reduta, Mozartův sál, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs|archive-date=22 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322134259/http://www.ndbrno.cz/photo_full/divadlo-reduta-mozartuv-sal|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Mesto Brno - Mahenovo divadlo 2.jpg|thumb|Mahen Theatre]]

The [[National Theatre (Brno)|National Theatre of Brno]] is the leading producer of [[opera]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/opera?lang=2|title=Opera, Národní divadlo Brno|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|access-date=22 September 2011}}</ref> [[drama]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/drama?lang=2|title=Drama, Národní divadlo Brno|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|access-date=22 September 2011}}</ref> and [[ballet]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/ballet?lang=2|title=Ballet, Národní divadlo Brno|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|access-date=22 September 2011}}</ref> in the city of Brno. The first permanent seat of NdB was established in 1884, and today this institution owns the [[Mahen Theatre]], built in 1882, [[Janáček Theatre]], built in 1965, and the [[Reduta Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/about-us/buildings|title=Buildings, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs}}</ref> The composer [[Leoš Janáček]] is also connected with the National Theatre of Brno.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/leos-janacek-a-narodni-divadlo-v-brne-1884-1928|title=Leoš Janáček a Národní divadlo v Brně 1884–1928, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310202753/http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/leos-janacek-a-narodni-divadlo-v-brne-1884-1928|archive-date=10 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Mahen Theatre was the first theatre building in Europe to be illuminated by [[Thomas Edison]]'s [[electric light bulb]]s; at that time it was a completely new invention and there were no power plants built in the city, so a small steam power plant was built nearby just to power the theatre, and Edison came to Brno in 1911 to see it.<ref name="mahentheatre">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-mahenova-divadla |title=Historie Mahenova divadla, Národní divadlo Brno |access-date=21 September 2011 |publisher=The National Theatre Brno |language=cs|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118155119/http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-mahenova-divadla |archive-date=18 November 2011 }}</ref>

The most commercially successful theatre in Brno is the [[Brno City Theatre]], founded in 1945;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdb.cz/history-of-brno-city-theatre-71/|title=Městské divadlo Brno – Theatre / History|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The Brno City Theatre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804030838/http://www.mdb.cz/history-of-brno-city-theatre-71/|archive-date=4 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> its performances are usually sold out. They also stage about 150 performances abroad every year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdb.cz/brno-city-theatre-today-70/|title=Městské divadlo Brno – Theatre / Today|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The Brno City Theatre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903213412/http://www.mdb.cz/brno-city-theatre-today-70/|archive-date=3 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The theatre's repertoire consists primarily of musical and dramatic shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdb.cz/performances-61/|title=Městské divadlo Brno – Performances|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The Brno City Theatre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804053653/http://www.mdb.cz/performances-61/|archive-date=4 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are a variety of smaller theatres in Brno, including the [[Bolek Polivka]] Theatre, the Goose on a String Theatre ("Divadlo Husa na provázku"), HaDivadlo, Radost Puppet Theatre ("loutkové divadlo Radost"), and Polárka Theatre.

The Mahen Theatre was originally called the City Theatre, and until 1918 it performed exclusively in German and was not part of the National Theatre of Brno. Between 1971 and 1978, some plays were performed at the [[Brno Exhibition Centre]] due to reconstruction of the Mahen Theatre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://is.muni.cz/th/75405/ff_m/DP_Fenomen_Mestskeho_divadla_Brno.pdf|title=Fenomén Městského divadla v Brno v brněnské kultuře|publisher=Masarykova univerzita, Filozofická fakulta, Ústav hudební vědy|access-date=22 September 2011|language=cs}}</ref>

===Local legends===
[[File:Brněnské kolo a drak (02) výřez.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Brno Dragon and Brno Wheel at the Old Town Hall]]
[[File:Brno-AltesRathaus2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Old Town Hall in Brno]]

There are several legends connected with the City of Brno. One of the best known is the Legend of the Brno Dragon.<ref name="brnoinfo"/> According to this legend, a terrible creature was terrorizing the citizens of Brno. The people had never seen this animal before, so they called it a dragon. They lived in fear of the dragon until one citizen managed to kill the monster by tricking it into eating a carcass filled with lime. In reality the "dragon" was a crocodile, the preserved body of which is now displayed at the entrance of the [[Old Town Hall (Brno)|Old Town Hall]]. Crocodile and dragon motifs are common in Brno. A crocodile ({{langx|cs|krokodýl}}) is the local stuffed baguette, and the city radio station is known as Radio Krokodýl. One of the local [[baseball]] teams is named [[Draci Brno]] ({{langx|en|Brno Dragons}}) and the local rugby club is named [[RC Dragon Brno]]. There is also a local [[American football]] team called the [[Brno Alligators]]. An [[Inter-city rail|Intercity]] train connecting Brno and Prague is called ''Brněnský drak'' ({{langx|en|Brno dragon}}).

Next to the dragon at the Old Town Hall is the town's second well-known emblem, a wagon wheel made from a tree found and cut down 50 miles from the city. According to the legend, a local man made a wager that he could fell the tree, make a wheel out of it, and roll the wheel to the City of Brno, all within a single day. Since the achievement was deemed to be impossible by normal human means, the man was believed to have called on the devil for assistance, and died in poverty as a result.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.brno.cz/en/tourist-leisure/history/brno-tales/the-wheel-bet/ |title=Brno – the Wheel Bet |access-date=29 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802001559/http://www.brno.cz/en/tourist-leisure/history/brno-tales/the-wheel-bet |archive-date=2 August 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another local legend relates to the siege of the city by Swedish forces in 1645. The locals and the Swedish army were in a stalemate, and the Swedish general declared that he would withdraw if his army had not won by noon. The bell ringer at Petrov Cathedral tricked him by ringing the bell an hour early, and keeping his word, the general and his army left.{{sfn|Henig|2000|p=93}} As a historic tribute to the event, the bell at Petrov Cathedral still rings for noon an hour earlier, at 11&nbsp;o'clock. At this hour every day, the Brno astronomical clock also releases a glass ball as a souvenir.

===Museums, libraries and galleries===
[[File:Moravská zemská knihovna crop.jpg|thumb|Moravian Library building]]
The most significant museum in Brno is the [[Moravian Museum]], the largest museum in Moravia and the second largest in the Czech Republic.<ref name="mzm"/> The museum was founded in 1817 and its collections include over 6 million pieces.<ref name="mzm">{{cite web|url=http://www.mzm.cz/Default-en.htm |title=The Moravian Museum |access-date=26 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927190624/http://www.mzm.cz/Default-en.htm |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> The biggest public library in Brno is the [[Moravian Library]], the second largest library in the Czech Republic with around 4 million volumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mzk.cz/en/about-library|title=About the Library|publisher=The Moravian Library in Brno|access-date=26 September 2011}}</ref> The biggest gallery in Brno is the [[Moravian Gallery]], again the second largest institution of its kind in the Czech Republic and the biggest in Moravia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moravska-galerie.cz/moravska-galerie/o-galerii/historie.aspx?lang=en|title=The Moravian Gallery in Brno – History|access-date=26 September 2011|archive-date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320161136/http://www.moravska-galerie.cz/moravska-galerie/o-galerii/historie.aspx?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> One section of the Moravian Museum, the [[Anthropos Pavilion]], is related to the oldest history of mankind and prehistoric Europe.

Brno also has a Technical Museum, the largest in Moravia and one of the largest in Czech Republic. The permanent exhibitions chart the advance of science and technology, accompanied by various lifelike models and restored machines. The museum also hosts short-term exhibitions of many different points of interest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.technicalmuseum.cz/en/akce/enamelling/|title=The Art of Enamelling / The Enamelling Technique|first=Pixelfield|last=s.r.o}}</ref>

In 2016 the Vašulka Kitchen Brno (VKB) was established in Brno for research, artistic experiment and informal education in the field of new media art. Housed in the Brno House of Arts, it consists of the archive of [[Steina and Woody Vasulka]]’ work and presents a permanent exhibition of their selected works.