Archaeologists uncover 17th‑century railway turntables and historic structures beneath Brno’s Malá Amerika

Archaeological work beneath the Malá Amerika district in Brno has revealed a range of historic features. Researchers from the Archaia Brno institute, led by Lenka Sedláčková, found two circular concrete foundations about seven metres in diameter that served as railway turntables in the late 19th‑early 20th century. The turntables, part of a former imperial railway warehouse, included sandstone blocks and a central “royal plug” that once supported a rotating rail bridge.

The investigations also uncovered older layers, including a 15th‑century water conduit later filled in, wooden‑walled square pits of unknown function, and wells whose walls were reinforced with split‑log techniques. Archaeologists suggest some of the fill may contain debris from the siege of Brno in 1645, when Swedish forces encircled the city during the Thirty Years’ War. The findings challenge earlier expectations that the site only contained a recently identified water channel and demonstrate the multi‑century reuse of the area for both commercial and defensive purposes.

These discoveries deepen understanding of Brno’s urban development, its role in imperial railway logistics, and its wartime history.