Reconciliation March

This year’s Reconciliation March will be attended by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a special guest who offered himself in exchange for children taken hostage after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. For the eighteenth time, we will follow in the footsteps of more than 20,000 inhabitants of Brno who were driven towards the Austrian border 79 years ago. While able-bodied men had to stay in the city to endure forced labour, women, children and the elderly were ordered to march. At least 1,700 of them perished along the way and in the following days and weeks.
Nine years ago and in connection with this symbolic march, Brno’s councillors adopted the Declaration of Reconciliation and a Shared Future, which became a milestone in the Czech society’s coming to terms with this chapter of its history.

Since 2015, we have been walking, symbolically, in the opposite direction to the historical march, that is, from the mass grave in Pohořelice back to the garden of the Augustinian abbey in Staré Brno. Again, this year’s march will be a remarkable experience and an opportunity for inspirational encounters. Witnesses and public figures from Czechia, Austria and Germany will take part in the event. Organisations active in the field of Czech-German and Czech-Austrian relations will present their activities at their stands and provide an accompanying programme. The opening will be attended by Tomáš Cyril Havel, priest, theologian and brother of Congregation of the Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Stuttgart Chor und Orchester des Königin Katharina Stift Gymnasiums Stuttgart will perform during the Reconciliation March.

Participants may join or leave the march at any point, thanks to special shuttle buses available throughout the day. During the event, special buses commute along the route, allowing to join or leave the March at several stations. You can see the timetable of the buses here. You can see the map of the march here.

Course of the event:

8:30 am Brno, Mendelovo náměstí | Departure of the first busses from the stop next to the Starobrno brewery

9 am | Departure of further buses to Pohořelice

9:30 am Pohořelice | Opening speech by Mons. Dieter Olbrich and prayer for the victims, setting off

noon Ledce (10 km)

2-2:30 pm Rajhrad (17 km) | Information and lunch at the crossroad Masarykova-Štefánikova in the town center

4:30 pm Modřice (24 km) | Information and food at City Hall

5 pm Brno, Gymnasium Vídeňská (30 km) | Information and food, music performance (the procession arrives at about 5:45 pm)

6 pm Garden of the Augustinian Abbey at Mendelovo náměstí (32 km) | Ceremonial Speeches, greetings from the ambassadors of both neighboring countries

For your comfort, we suggest booking your place on the bus on the Brno-Pohořelice route below on this site.