Lucerna Cinema in Brno–Žabovřesky is the oldest cinema in Brno. Its history dates back to the early 20th century, when the first so-called “moving pictures” were presented to the citizens of Brno, following the invention of cinematography by Albert Schiller in 1896.
The history of the cinema begins on 25 October 1913, when the master builder and entrepreneur Bartoloměj Novák, together with his wife Perpetua Nováková, applied for a licence to build a cinema. The project was designed by architect Bohumil Čermák, and the final design was further refined and completed in 1914. A year later, on 29 May 1915, the cinema began operation under the name BIO Aladin. The first projectionist was Jiljí Klement, and four screenings were held daily.
In 1917, the licence and the entire cinema equipment were purchased by the wife of Dr. Súček, who renovated the cinema and reopened it under the new name Lucerna Cinema.
In the newly refurbished hall, three box seats with 30 seats were created, and the total capacity increased to 340 seats in summer and 334 in winter due to heating constraints. A stage and two dressing rooms were also added. In 1963, outdated equipment was replaced with modern projection technology, new sound systems were installed, and the exterior was altered by removing the canopy above the entrance landing.
In the 1990s, Lucerna Cinema became the property of the Brno–Žabovřesky municipal district. Operation was taken over by Lucernafilm a.s., later renamed Bontonfilm a.s. Since 1 September 1999, the operator has been KINO PLUS, which aimed to continue the cinema’s tradition and prepare further modernisation in order to compete with new multiplex cinemas.
In 2011, the cinema was fully digitised, enabling high-quality projection in both 2D and 3D. The sound system was also upgraded, and the cinema is now equipped with modern Dolby Digital and Dolby Surround technology. Since 2004, the cinema has been operated by Biograf, spol. s r.o.
