Archaeologists in the Vlněna area of Brno have discovered the remains of a dyehouse

Brno - The remains of a dyehouse built by M. E. Schwarz in 1872 were uncovered in recent days by archaeologists at the site of the former Brno Wool Factory. Hynek Zbránek from Archaia Brno, which is conducting the survey together with the Institute of Archaeological Heritage Care, told ČTK.

"Although we have maps of Brno from the 60s to the 90s of the 19th century and we knew that this dyehouse existed at that time, it is not visible on any of the maps. Therefore, we had no idea about its location. We expected to find it further south," Zbránek said.

During the period when Brno was "Moravian Manchester," specifically in the 19th century, there were dozens of dyehouses in the city, but not a single one has survived. The remains of one of them were found by archaeologists last autumn on Křenová street, while the one at the Wool Factory is about 50 years younger.

"The black circle is clearly visible in the floor plan, where the furnace operator moved, and there were rectangular areas for the furnaces. Above them was a boiler where the fabrics were boiled," described the typical floor plan of the dyehouse’s furnace, the archaeologist said.

In addition to the remains of buildings, experts are also discovering everyday items during their research, as well as evidence of technological development in the dyehouse. "For example, there is evidence that there was a shift to the use of coal or coke, and the furnaces were getting smaller," added Zbránek.

When the dyehouse was abandoned, the building was indeed leveled, but without mechanization, the demolition of the foundations was too demanding, so new buildings grew on the remains of the old ones.

Archaeologists have been working on the site of the former Brno Wool Factory for the third year now. They have already explored the spaces beneath eight buildings, which are either being built or already standing, mapping about 60 percent of the total area. In addition to finds from Brno's industrial era, they also examined a part of the buried Svratecký Canal, where they found objects from the 16th to the 18th centuries. "In the area behind the city walls, craftsmen had their place, whose work brought unpleasant odors, such as tanners who processed hides, or fishermen and their fish ponds," the archaeologist explained. The tools of the craftsmen were among the main finds from the Svratecký Canal.