Jindřichov (Šumperk District)

Villages of Habartice, Nové Losiny and Pusté Žibřidovice are administrative parts of Jindřichov.

The municipality is named after Heinrich (Czech: Jindřich) Kaiser, a second owner of a local paper mill.

Jindřichov lies approximately 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Šumperk, 60 km (37 mi) north of Olomouc, and 184 km (114 mi) east of Prague.

The municipality is situated above Branná in a narrow valley surrounded by Hanušovická vrchovina and High Ash Mountains. The nearby landscape is composed of coniferous forests, steep hills, Branná floodplains and meadows. Houses are built along a transregional road and a relative busy railway because the Branná valley is one of the few routes from Jeseník District to the rest of the Czech Republic.

Jindřichov is a young municipality founded in 1953. The municipality was created by merger of Pusté Žibřidovice with hamlets of Pleče, Pekařov, Sklenná, and with parts of Hanušovice, Vikantice and Nové Losiny.[2] In 1976 Habartov and Nové Losiny were joined to Jindřichov.[3]

Habartice is the oldest part of the municipality as it was first mentioned in 1351.[3] Pusté Žibřidovice was first mentioned in 1382.[4]

A history of Jindřichov was started in 1862 when a paper mill and an apartment building for workers were built. An investor was Joseph Abraham Winternitz, who sold it to Heinrich Kaiser in 1864.[4] The place was chosen because of the rich water source the Branná River and deep forests which can be exploited for cellulose.

A railway access with rest of Austria-Hungary was opened in 1888 as well as an access with Prussia via Hlucholazy what caused a growth of factory production and thus building of new workers' apartments and necessary infrastructure. The factory had 750 employees in 1920. Its functioning caused strong pollution of the Branná River. Because the Communist government wasn't really interested in environmental problems, the situation went better in the late 1990s.

Eccentric block of flats

During the communist era from 1948–1989, the number of employees increased again. An eight-floor-high block of flats was erected for the workers' accommodation and was described by known Czech architect David Vávra as "the purest example of total incomprehension of place – of a deep High Ash Mountains valley." He also said: "The block of flats was designed in 80’s by Stavoprojekt company and it looks as a devil illusion till nowaday."[5]

The paper mill was closed in 2011 due financial problems. Thus caused enormous unemployment. The new owner announced that he wanted to start production again; however, just tens of people were hired.[6]

The economy of the village has always been connected with the paper mill. The factory's closure in 2011 caused a high unemployment rate, which was 31,7% in 2012. For comparison, the rate was 14,7% in 2008 when the factory was going well.[7]

Remoteness of Jindřichov and bad public transport connection is a factor of higher unemployment rate.

Other people are employed in forestry, agriculture and services. A significant source of income comes from tourism.

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