Yesterday, 29 May, the Cairn of Peace (‘Mohyla Míru’) monument on the hills near the village of Prace ceremonially resumed operation after almost two years of reconstruction work.
Among the new features, visitors now have access to 9-metre viewing platforms from which, in good weather conditions, they will be able to observe part of the battlefield of Austerlitz/Slavkov, where the “Battle of Three Emperors”, one of the most important in the Napoleonic Wars, was fought at the end of 1805.
In the future, the platforms, located at the north and south sides of the monument, will be equipped with boards marking important visible points, as well as binoculars.
“After the reconstruction, the mound is much more visitor-friendly than it was before. It starts with the landscaping around the memorial chapel, continues with a renovated cafe and a new entrance hall, viewing platforms and several other innovations,” said Ondřej Buček, manager of the Peace Monument.
“Another completely new element is the glass wall in front of the museum building, forming a significant extension of the entrance area. It provides visitors with an unusual view – if they turn to face the museum, they will see the reflection of the chapel and the entire space behind them at the same time,” added Buček.
The interior of the cafe area also underwent some changes: among the novelties, in the lounge, the memorial will exhibit a gallery of works of art for sale.
“The project of the architect Petr Franta started in the spring of 2022 and lasted until the spring months of this year,” said Vladimír Šmerda, South Moravian regional councillor for investments. “He requested various restrictions, including the complete closure of the exhibition. The reconstruction cost almost CZK 81 million. Almost CZK 50 million was provided by the European Union from the IROP program and the Czech state, while CZK 30.7 million was paid by the South Moravian Region.”
In the autumn of 2024, Mohyla Míru will also undergo a modernization of the exhibition, with the planned opening on the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Slavkov in 2025. The current two permanent exhibitions ‘Battle of the Three Emperors Slavkov / Austerlitz 1805’ and ‘Austerlitz Phenomenon’ have remained unchanged following the reconstruction.
“The new exhibition, for which the region allocated CZK 10.5 million, will open up the museum more and make it more accessible to visitors,” said František Lukl, Deputy Governor for Culture. “It will build on the existing exhibition in terms of content but will improve and modernise the form of the message. Using interactivity and multimedia elements, it will build on the concept of the overall transformation of the Memorial grounds and will function as an integral part of it.”
For the last two years, bus number 48 has been connecting the monument directly to the centre of Brno. “Thanks to this, the Cairn of Peace has become even more accessible for visitors, who can get closer to European history in our region in an experiential way,” concluded Buček.
