The former Mosilana complex is a unique testament to Brno’s woollen textile industry, which significantly shaped the city’s development, particularly in the second half of the 19th century. The extensive site emerged through the gradual merging of several originally independent textile factories concentrated in the area of today’s Špitálka and Vlhká streets, near the Svitava canal. It is still striking today for its exceptionally strong sense of place, industrial rawness, and diverse mix of architectural styles reflecting the long and complex development of the entire complex.
Before the Second World War, several major textile companies operated here, including the Strakosch brothers, later Hlawatsch & Isbary and the Associated Woollen Goods Factories, as well as the enterprises of David Hecht and Max Kohn. After 1948, Brno’s textile industry was reorganised and incorporated into the Moravian-Silesian Woollen Works, from which the state-owned enterprise Mosilana was established at the end of 1949. It continued the tradition of the former textile factories and, over the following decades, became a well-known name associated with high-quality woollen products.
The present-day complex is the result of merging several historical production sites and also includes listed buildings that reflect the former manufacturing, administrative, and technical facilities of textile production. Following the decline of industrial activity in the late 20th century, the site changed its function—during the 1990s it was used mainly for storage and light production, later passing into the hands of investment funds. In 2016, it was acquired by the Financial Consortium investment group with the intention of gradually transforming it into a new residential district.
Today, the site is being progressively reshaped into a “city within a city,” combining industrial heritage with new uses. A guided walk offers the opportunity to explore its history, architecture, and the layered development of one of Brno’s most distinctive industrial complexes.
