This year we celebrate 190 years from the birth of Gregor Johann Mendel, an Augustinian friar, who, thanks to his diligence, meticulousness and genius, laid down the principles of genetics which are still valid to this day. This year the original manuscript of his most influential work "Experiments on Plant Hybridization" returned to Brno. But before we start to explain the journey of the manuscript, we should say something about the man G. J. Mendel himself.

The history of the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute goes back to 1928, when the surgeon and senior consultant Dr. Jaroslav Bakeš and his mother founded The House of Consolation Association. The aim of the organization was to improve the care of patients with malignant tumours and, simultaneously, provide facilities for research in this medical field. The primary objective was therefore to build a dedicated institute where cancer patients could be treated and cured while a special emphasis would be placed on research work. Brno was chosen to be the seat of the House of Consolation because of its numerous colleges, flourishing Faculty of Medicine, and various large hospitals. The institute called the Masaryk Sanatorium – House of Consolation was opened on 13th January, 1935.

A certain amount of attention has been dedicated to the question of an avant-garde tradition passed on to contemporary architecture in Bohemia and Moravia, especially in Brno, over the past twenty years. It was initiated by the works of the mature generation of architects, who deliberately, yet not systematically, reflected the influence of this tradition in the tone of their own projects and buildings. Although the major opportunities for investment after 1989 were concentrated in Prague, the most remarkable and noteworthy, in terms of style, were the products of Brno architects. We can even observe a tendency towards exclusivity in particular examples of individual buildings. However, it is still possible to recognise existing principles of contemporary modern buildings that are non-high rise, beautiful, practical, non-ostentatious and even relatively economical. Perhaps, it is possible to perceive this as a continuation of a tradition of new and cultivated architecture for middle-class society building upon a bequest of non-systematic, yet highly architecturally fine, public and relatively well-preserved constructions.

Dating back to the 13th century, Špilberk Castle has long been one of the most significant and dominant features of Brno. From its foundation by Přemysl Otakar II up to the present day the significance and function of the castle has changed many times and this fact has also influenced its building development. The original gothic castle has been the seat of Moravian Margraves, a massive Baroque fortress, the most severe jail in the Austrian Empire – the well-known "Prison of Nations", a military barracks, in the more recent past it was proclaimed a National Cultural Landmark in 1962 and at present it is the headquarters of the Brno City Museum.

While introducing Brno's neighbourhoods, in this issue we have moved from the north towards the east and our eye was caught by three districts – Líšeň, Vinohrady and Maloměřice and Obřany. Two of them can be proud of their long history; in contrast Vinohrady is one of the youngest Brno municipalities and its character and traditions are still developing.

Brno, especially in the recent years, is changing and developing significantly especially in the business field, where global companies such as IBM, SolarWinds, Honeywell, AVG, Avast, Red Hat, Motorola, Daikin, NetSuite, Ysoft, Tescan, FEI etc. operate successfully At the same time, in concordance with its long-term strategy, Brno is heading towards becoming a significant center of science,research and innovation in Central Europe. Last year, the financing of the Central Europe Technological Institute (CEITEC) was approved. The International Center of Clinical Research (ICRC), which co-operates with the American Mayo Clinic, is under construction on the grounds of the St.Anne's University Hospital Brno. And other scientific and research centers are being prepared ( NetMe, AdMaS, CETOCOEN etc)

Every resident of Brno lives in one of its neighbourhoods, which has its own projects, its own construction problems, traffic solutions, rest zones and many other areas of everyday life. That is why we have decided to present to you over the next few months profiles of all 29 Brno neighbourhoods and we bring you the first part in this edition. Let us introduce Brno-north, Kralovo - Pole and Medlanky.

The Petrov cathedral is one of the two dominant landmarks of Brno. The dome sitting on the rock, close to Brno's main station can be seen by everyone arriving in the city, from any part of the world.