Another memorial plaque will commemorate Professor Arne Novák

On Monday 15 November 2021, at the beginning of the Humanities Week, which culminated this year's celebrations of the centenary of the Faculty of Arts, another commemorative plaque was unveiled at the corner of Arna Nováka and Grohova streets. Symmetrically complementing the plaque from the end of September dedicated to Professor Vladimír Groh, this one will also commemorate an important personality of the generation of the founders of the Faculty, namely Arne Novák, a prominent professor of Czech literature and rector of the University at the time of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. The Faculty of Arts reacted to the initiative of Marie Jílková, a councilor of the Brno city district, who came up with the idea of commemorating the personality after whom the street is named with a memorial plaque on Grohova Street.

The commemorative act was opened by a musical performance of the "deeply human amateur choir" Na hłas, composed of graduates of our faculty. Those present were then welcomed by Dean Milan Pol and Rector Martin Bareš, who also recalled the words of Arno Novák from the Rector's speech in the difficult times of the University and the whole nation. The personality of the eminent professor of Czech literature and a great moral authority at the head of the university was presented in more detail by Vice-Dean Josef Šaur: "It is not surprising that, as an extraordinary moral authority, the voters decided to keep Arne Novák as rector for another term, thus breaking the established rules about the succession of office. However, at the beginning of September 1939, Arne Novák fell ill with pneumonia and did not return to the university. He died in hospital on 26 November without learning of the closure of the Czech universities."

After the commemorative part of the ceremony, the plaque was unveiled by Dean Milan Pol and Rector Martin Bareš, and flowers were also laid. The gathering was closed again by the Na hłas choir. The participants of the event then moved to an informal meeting in the courtyard of the faculty.