the same point of view: The MU Faculty of Science then and now
Two low greenhouses were built on the right and left sides of building no. 4 for the Department of Physiology and, later, the Department of Plant Physiology and the Department of Genetics at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. These were entered from the cellar or through the English courtyard.
Experimental plants were grown in the greenhouses, no doubt including those of Professor Vladimír Úlehla and his assistant and, later, those of Professor Jan Calábek used for his filming of plant movements. From 1942 to 1943, then from 1945 to 1951, the gardener in charge of these greenhouses was Jindřich Klodner, later replaced by the secretary of the faculty (until 1975). A bomb dropped by the U.S. Air Force fell on building no. 4 in November 1944, meaning that much of the building had to be repaired after the war and the entire institute re-equipped.
Outdoor space near building No. 4 of the MU Faculty of Science on Kotlářská Street. Photo: MU Archive, undated.
The need for parking spaces in the area has increased significantly, so that even in the area next to the park in front of the dean's office, several new parking spaces were created after the covered greenhouse. There are grass tiles under them, so rainwater can normally soak in and grow at least a little green. Around most of the buildings in the area are the so-called English courtyards, which are actually dehumidification areas around the basements of the buildings bordered on top by a gray railing. Old buildings are usually damp in cellars, and the rise of water in the walls up to the ground floor is prevented by ventilation through English courtyards.
Space near building No. 4 of the MU Faculty of Science on Kotlářská Street. Photo: Libor Teplý, 2019.
Translated by Kevin Roche.
