History of the UXA Foundry in Komárov, Brno

After 1989, the character of the city of Brno gradually began to transform into the form we know today. This transformation is also related to the extinction of most traditional industrial sectors and their production areas, concentrated in the southern and southeastern parts of the city since the 19th century. Despite this fundamental change in the innovation-based economy, Brno today has a completely unique and singular place where the continuous production of cast iron products has been taking place for over 130 years.
With the construction and expansion of textile production areas in Brno, as well as the development of railway lines, the establishment of machine shops, sugar factories, and other production areas, there naturally arose a demand for the foundry sector as well. The oldest foundry in Brno with a cupola furnace was established in 1861 by Ignaz Storek (1822–1889) on today's Křenová Street, and four years later, in 1865, the firm Wannieck and Phil. Jellinek was founded on Trnité Street. It was in the foundry of Friedrich Wannieck (1838–1919) where Adalbert Uxa (1837–1904) worked for many years as its manager, who, in 1885, decided to become independent and established his own company on today's Svatopetrská Street, not far from Wannieck's foundry. The beginnings of Adalbert Uxa's independent entrepreneurial activities were not easy at all. He left as a manager from an established company to rent a workshop measuring 6x6 meters in Komárov with one cupola furnace and the necessary tools. However, the knowledge, experience, and surely the necessary contacts that Adalbert Uxa gained at Friedrich Wannieck's, as well as the financial assistance from his brothers Wenzl, Franz, and Josef, were strong enough to quickly secure a network of regular customers and enable the company to prosper. Soon after its establishment, the small workshop on Svatopetrská Street became insufficient, and Adalbert Uxa began to build a new production area nearby. He entered the business with his three brothers, who were employed as managers of foundries in Budapest, Graz, and Prague, to lead the family business together. The production area was built in 1885, and the following year, production began here. Franz Uxa pushed for the design to simultaneously construct a foundry for tempered cast iron, which proved to be very progressive, as the foundry Bratři Uxové/Brüder Uxa was the only foundry for tempered cast iron in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire that used cupola furnaces instead of melting in crucibles.
After the death of the founding personalities, their eldest sons took over the management of the company, with Rudolf Uxa, the son of Adalbert Uxa, leading the firm until 1921. Before World War I, the company employed 450 workers, thus establishing itself among the leading in its field and supplying its products not only within the Austrian monarchy but also to other states in Europe. The collapse of the monarchy and the formation of Czechoslovakia meant a loss of its original markets in Austria for many of the then companies. As a result, companies were forced to seek and secure markets in the newly created republic. The short-term crisis following the formation of the republic was managed relatively smoothly by Bratři Uxové, so even in the new Czechoslovakia, the company remained a top-tier player in its field. Much greater difficulties arose for production and business activities in 1929. Like other companies, Bratři Uxové had to lay off more than 70 percent of its employees, leaving only 120 people working in the company. Thanks to economic improvements in the following years, the foundry also weathered this crisis period, and by the 1930s, it already employed 400 staff, thus being able to almost fully utilize its production capacity. During the interwar period, the company focused on the production of grey cast iron from the smallest castings to castings weighing 4000 kilograms, as well as special cast iron for automobile cylinders, castings for agricultural machinery factories, the production of Ewart chains primarily for the textile industry, and other products.
However, World War II, or rather the change in political and social arrangements after it, meant a significant change and reorientation in production for Bratři Uxové. In 1949, the company was nationalized and renamed Juranovy závody (Juran's Works), and simultaneously transitioned from traditional manufacturing to mass production of components for combat vehicles for the armaments industry. In 1991, however, the company underwent privatization and the establishment of a new company that returned to the name of the original owners and founders. This led to the establishment of Uxa, spol. s.r.o., which began to focus on new markets in the European Union.
The area of the Uxa foundry's factory buildings has been defined by the streets Plotní, Kovářská, Dornych, and Široká since its establishment, with the administrative and management building located towards Plotní Street. The production facilities, including the wood model shop, metal model shop, forge, melting shop, tempering shop, and grey iron foundry, are situated within the plot and were created between 1898 and 1906, with ongoing modernization throughout the 20th century. Since 1958, the foundry area has been protected as a historical monument.

Sources:
Archive of the Brno Waterworks and Sewerage, a.s.
National Heritage Institute, Specialized Territorial Office Brno.
Internet Encyclopedia of the History of Brno.
Heritage Catalog.

Literature:
Kožíšek, Alois: Brno: City and Surroundings. National Economic Promotion of Czechoslovakia, Brno, 1938.