Divadlo Reduta (Reduta Theatre), Brno

The Reduta Theatre (Divadlo Reduta) in Brno stands as a significant cultural landmark with a rich history dating back to Renaissance times. Situated on the city's oldest square (Zelný trh) it is the oldest theatre building in Central Europe, with its first mention in 1608. The theatre's origins lie in a complex of medieval houses purchased and remodeled by the Brno city council at the beginning of the 17th century. One of these houses, known as the Liechtenstein House, became a tavern in 1605 and later added assembly rooms. By 1634, an adjoining building was incorporated, creating a hall for occasional theatrical performances.

In the 1730s, the building underwent significant renovations, including the addition of a new theater and ballroom, and became known as the Taverna Theatre, or Theater in der Taffern to the city's German-speaking residents. It primarily hosted performances in German and Italian. A notable event in its history was the concert performed by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister Nannerl on 30 December 1767, after the Mozart family sought refuge in Brno during a smallpox epidemic in Vienna.

The theatre faced several challenges, including extensive fires in 1785 and 1786, which led to its reconstruction in the Neoclassical architectural style with a new two-story main hall. Renamed the Reduta Theatre, it continued to primarily feature German plays, with Czech performances being rare. Another devastating fire in 1870 led to the theatre's closure, after which it was repurposed as a city market hall.

Following the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918, the theatre resumed its cultural activities. In the 1950s, the building was redesigned by architects Bohuslav and Kamil Fuchs and served as a venue for Czech operettas until the 1990s. The last major reconstruction of the Reduta Theatre was completed in 2005, a project that earned the Grand Prix in a competition held by the Czech Chamber of Architects.

Today, the Reduta Theatre is part of the National Theatre in Brno. It does not have a permanent ensemble but regularly hosts guest performances by various artists and ensembles from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, continuing its long-standing tradition as a center of cultural and theatrical life in Brno.