Uherský Brod

Uherský Brod (Czech pronunciation: [ˈuɦɛrskiː ˈbrot]; German: Ungarisch Brod, literally Hungarian Ford) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants.

Uherský Brod
Town
Masaryk Square in Uherský Brod
Flag
Coat of arms
Uherský Brod
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°1′30″N 17°38′50″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionZlín
DistrictUherské Hradiště
First mentioned1140
Government
  MayorFerdinand Kubáník
Area
  Total52.06 km2 (20.10 sq mi)
Elevation
251 m (823 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
  Total16,441
  Density320/km2 (820/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
687 34, 688 01
Websitewww.ub.cz

Geography

Uherský Brod is situated 300 km (190 mi) southeast of Prague, in the south-east of Moravia. It lies in the Vizovice Highlands and near the White Carpathian Mountains.

History

The history of Uherský Brod, a name which can be loosely translated as the 'Hungarian ford' or 'river crossing to Hungary', can be traced back to the 10th century. In 1272 it had become sufficiently important that Přemysl Otakar II granted it the status of a King's town.

The 16th century was the all too short golden age of the town, which flourished under the lordship of John of Kaunic (Czech: Jan z Kaunic). The town hall and lords' house were built during this time. The good times came to an end at the beginning of the 17th century when Hungarians started to attack it in a series of invasions.

Later, German and Jewish communities began to grow and in the 19th century, the town was transformed by industrial development but managed to retain its character and charm.

World War II brought further invasion and the development of military industries. Česká Zbrojovka, a precision firearms manufacturer, plays a leading role in the region's industry. It also led to the loss of the town's Jewish community, the striking reminder of which is the Jewish cemetery.

Uherský Brod shooting

On 24 February 2015, a shooting occurred at a restaurant in Uherský Brod. Nine people were killed, including the gunman, a 63-year-old local man. One other woman suffered severe gunshot wounds, but survived. The Czech Interior Minister, Milan Chovanec, stated, "According to available information, it was not a terrorist attack".[2]

Notable sites

With the White Carpathian national park and the trans-Carpathian cycle routes nearby, Uherský Brod has become a tourist attraction. The town has a local brewery, Janáček, that supplies mainly in the region. The name is often confused with Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer, but the two have little in common. On a hill above the town is an observatory from 1961, having been funded and built entirely by the town's residents. As of 2009 the observatory had plans for a large planetarium to help it with its educational message.

John Amos Comenius

Uherský Brod is a possible birthplace of John Amos Comenius. However, most likely it is just a place where he spent a part of his life. There are a museum and a secondary grammar school that bear his name. The link to Comenius was the reason for the twinning of Uherský Brod and Naarden in the Netherlands, where Comenius is buried.

Sport

A local football club, ČSK Uherský Brod, plays in the Moravian–Silesian Football League (3rd tier of the Czech football league system).

Twin towns – sister cities

Uherský Brod is twinned with:[3]

References

  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  2. At least 8 dead as gunman opens fire in Czech restaurant - Toronto Star, Associated Press, 2015-02-24
  3. "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Uherský Brod. Retrieved 2020-08-24.


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