Dětský domov Dagmar, Residential child care facility in Žabovřesky, Brno, Czech Republic
Dětský domov Dagmar is a functionalist building by architect Bohuslav Fuchs, who designed it without a fee. The foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1928, and the building has since undergone various construction modifications, with the last major reconstruction in 2006.
The home grew out of a campaign by Brno writer Rudolf Těsnohlídek, author of Liška Bystrouška, who in 1924 started the Christmas Trees of the Republic collection for poor families. The foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1928, and the home opened on 8 December 1929; Těsnohlídek did not live to see it.
The home is named after Queen Dagmar of Denmark, daughter of Přemysl Otakar I, because Rudolf Těsnohlídek took the Danish Christmas-tree charity tradition as his model. Těsnohlídek, author of Liška Bystrouška, started the Czechoslovak Christmas Tree tradition in 1924 after finding an abandoned child, Liduška Kosourová, in a forest near Bílovice in 1919.
The building stands in Brno-Žabovřesky; the functionalist house by Bohuslav Fuchs was built for this purpose from the start, with its cornerstone laid on 8 December 1928. It is a children's home, not a public sight, so visits depend on arrangements made with the institution in advance.
A major renovation in 2006 transformed the interior from traditional dormitory-style rooms into a family-oriented living arrangement while keeping the exterior appearance intact. This redesign created more personal and comfortable spaces for residents to live in.
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