Rajhrad
Town
Benedictine monastery
Flag Coat of arms
Rajhrad Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°5′25″N 16°36′14″E / 49.09028°N 16.60389°E / 49.09028; 16.60389
Country	Czech Republic
Region	South Moravian
District	Brno-Country
First mentioned	1169
Government
• Mayor	František Ondráček
Area
• Total	9.49 km2 (3.66 sq mi)
Elevation	190 m (620 ft)
Population  (2023-01-01)[1]
• Total	4,092
• Density	430/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	664 61
Website	www.rajhrad.cz

Rajhrad (German: Groß Raigern) is a town in Brno-Country District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,100 inhabitants.

Geography

Rajhrad is located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Brno. It lies in the Dyje–Svratka Valley. It is situated on the right bank of the Svratka River.

History

The first written mention of Rajhrad is from 1169. It was probably founded at the turn of 10th and 11th centuries and named after a nearby former gord. The Benedictine monastery was founded here in the mid-11th century. In 1234, Rajhrad was allowed to hold a market, and in 1330, it was called a market village. In 1339, it was first referred to as a market town.^[2]

In 2000, Rajhrad became a town.^[2]

Demographics

Transport

The D52 motorway from Brno to Pohořelice runs next to the town.

Sights

The monastery is the main sight. It is one of the oldest and most valuable monasteries in Moravia. It includes the abbey Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which was built during the Baroque reconstruction of the monastery. It was designed by the architect Jan Santini Aichel. Today the monastery houses the Monument of Literature in Moravia with a historical library.^[5]

Notable people

• Beda Dudík (1815–1890), historian; lived and died here
• Josef Zelený (1824–1886), painter