The present-day Secondary School of Art and Design and Higher Professional School in Brno was established on January 1st 2012. Through a ruling of the Southmoravian Region, the Higher Professional School of Fashion Design and Management and the Secondary School of Textile Decorative Arts in Francouzská Street merged with the Secondary School of Art and Design in Husova Street and with the Higher Professional School of Restoration located in Obřany.
Let’s have a look at the history of Fashion and Textile Design at the Higher Professional School.
The idea to found an independent secondary school for weavers in Brno as the first secondary textile school in Austria-Hungary came about as a result of a great success of Brno‘s highly developed textile industry at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. In 1852 the Chamber of Business and Commerce established a school of crafts with a department for spinners and weavers in order to train qualified labourers and foremen. The instruction was carried out as evening classes on Saturdays and Sundays in German and Czech.
1860
By a decree of the Ministry of Culture and Education a Higher School for Weavers was founded on the 17th July 1860; it was located in Fabriksgasse (today’s Úzká Street), where an opening ceremony was held on the 25th October of the same year. The main purpose of the school was to provide proper professional education that would answer the demands of the advanced wool processing industry throughout the monarchy. The school trained workers for higher job positions, particularly factory managers and owners.
1996
The year represents an important milestone in the school’s history since the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports changed the deed of foundation for higher professional education with a new name Secondary Industrial School and Higher Professional School of Textile (Střední průmyslová škola a Vyšší odborná škola textilní). For the first time the Higher Professional School offers courses for textile production and business managers and textile artists and, in the following year, a course teaching technological processes in textile production.
2001
Due to an insufficient capacity of the original facilities the school complex is expanded to include the renovated building in Francouzská Street 99.
2003
The school was awarded the ATOK Golden Diploma certifying that the school meets the standards of the Association of Textile, Fashion and Leather Businesses for educational institutions that train professionals in their respective lines of work.
2006
In the academic year of 2006/2007 the school is renamed as Higher Professional School of Fashion Design and Management and Secondary School of Textile Decorative Arts, Brno, Francouzská Street 101 (Vyšší odborná škola oděvního designu a managementu a Střední uměleckoprůmyslová škola textilní, Brno, Francouzská 101).
2009
New study programs are introduced into the instruction. These are: Fashion Design and Construction, Interior and Fashion Accessory Design, and Business Enterprise and Advertising.
2010
The school celebrated the 150th anniversary of its foundation.
2012
The Higher Professional School of Fashion Design and Management and Secondary School of Textile Decorative Arts merges with the Secondary School of Art and Design and Higher Professional School of Restoration.
Towards the end of the year, the Higher Professional School of Restoration moves to the newly renovated restoration workshops in Francouzská Street 101 and 99.
June 1st 2015
A new name of the school: Secondary School of Art and Design and Higher Professional School of Restoration, Contributory Organization (Střední škola umění a designu a Vyšší odborná škola Brno, příspěvková organizace).
September 1st 2015
Start of education based on a modified study program for Fashion and Textile Design using a credit system.