Richard Herdan’s Apartment

Richard Herdan’s apartment is a modernist interior with preserved built-in furniture. It is located in a residential building on Hlinky Street in Brno.

The building once belonged to the Jewish Teltscher family. Eugen Teltscher gave the furnished flat to his daughter Johanna when she married Richard Herdan, an engineer and head of exports for Škoda Works. The Herdan family later moved abroad, escaping the persecution of Jews. They never returned, and the Teltscher family continued to rent out the apartment.

During the war, the building was confiscated and the Teltschers were deported and later killed. After the war, the flat was occupied by a family who made only minor changes. Later tenants removed some original furniture and made modern alterations. The apartment then remained empty until it was rediscovered by an architect while searching for film locations.

The apartment is on the third floor. After entering the hallway, the kitchen is on the left and the toilet at the end. On the sides are other rooms: a probable dining room with a built-in wall unit on the left, and a small room with wardrobes on the right, leading to a servant’s room and a large street-facing living room.

The main living room is divided by a decorative arch with glass cabinets and original lighting. The cupboards and wall panels are veneered wood, and one cupboard likely served as a writing desk. A radiator is designed to look like a fireplace, with a travertine surround and a metal grille with initials.

The apartment is owned by the City of Brno. Plans are underway to restore it, return missing furniture, and create a representative space for cultural events and guided tours.

Visitors should also notice the building’s protected façade, an important example of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque architecture.