Redlichova vila Villa

Redlichova vila in Slavkov near Brno is a historic building from 1884. It was created as the home of Hermann Redlich, owner of a local sugar factory. Since 2001, the building has been protected as a cultural monument and is now used under the name Vila Austerlitz as a private accommodation facility.

The villa was designed by Brno architect August Prokop, then director of the Moravian Industrial Museum. Hermann Redlich had its headquarters built near its business to be within direct traffic range. This building, known as the upper or red villa, was later supplemented by a lower white villa. The creation of the building dates back to the 1980s, when Austria-Hungary culminated in the expansion of industrial production and sugar processing, closely linked to the development of the railway network.

Architectural rendition is based on a historic style. The expert analyses show inspiration from Tudor's neo-goths through Hanover School; the architect used an additive grouping of materials on an irregular plan. In connection with the villa, Jan Sedlák mentions the influence of the German Renaissance, which reflected a period of departure from the cosmopolitan italising Neo-Renaissance towards the Nordic models. The exterior is characterized by prismatic volumes, belt rustic, arching barefoot on the corners, window chambres and chisel roof of the tower. The interior layout included a representative hall with staircase, dining room with fireplace, billiard room and upstairs bedroom and innkeeper rooms. The entire building is surrounded by an English park of 1.5 hectares.

After Hermann Redlich's death in 1895, his son Viktor inherited the villa. The Redlich family owned a sugar factory until the Nazi occupation, when both Viktor and Felix Redlich were forced to emigrate to Canada because of their Jewish origins. During World War II, the sugar factory was forced into the administration of the German Empire. After liberation and nationalisation in 1948, the building became state owned. In the postwar period the villa served as a forestry training and accommodation centre under the administration of the company South Moravian forests. In 2005 the property was purchased by ENBRA, which equipped it and started the operation of accommodation services. In 2020 the villa underwent a partial reconstruction.

The history of the mansion is closely linked to the development of the Slavkov sugar factory, which was among the largest in the monarchy. Hermann Redlich, which was acquired by the company in 1877, was able to push the railway line from Brno to Přerov directly around the sugar factory, thereby saving the cost of the train to the detriment of urban interests. In 1905, the sugar factory became the scene of a bloody suppressed strike for a universal equal voting right. In April 1945, during the front crossing, the area of the villa was hit by the bombing that killed Jan Kočovský.

Redlichova vila presents an important proof of industrial history and architecture in the end of the 19th century in Moravia. Its preservation and current use allow for an insight into the lifestyle of the then business elites. Visiting this place offers an opportunity to get to know the historical architecture in the authentic environment of the sugar complex.