Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic by population and area, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region and lies at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers. The city was founded about a thousand years ago, it received city status in the year 1243, and for centuries it served as the capital city of Moravia, until 1948 when the autonomy of Moravia was abolished by the communists. The city flourished mainly during the nineteenth century. "The Scotch Mist Gallery contains many photographs of historic buildings, monuments and memorials of Poland and beyond."