Kopřivnice | |
|---|---|
.jpg) General view of the town | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Kopřivnice Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates:49°35′58″N18°8′41″E / 49.59944°N 18.14472°E /49.59944; 18.14472 | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Moravian-Silesian |
| District | Nový Jičín |
| First mentioned | 1437 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Adam Hanus |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.49 km2 (10.61 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 320 m (1,050 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 21,374 |
| • Density | 777.5/km2 (2,014/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 742 21 |
| Website | www |
Kopřivnice (Czech pronunciation:[ˈkopr̝̊ɪvɲɪtsɛ];German:Nesselsdorf) is a town inNový Jičín District in theMoravian-Silesian Region of theCzech Republic. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. It is an industrial town, known especially for the vehicle manufacturerTatra.
Kopřivnice consists of four municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]
Both the Czech and German names of the town are derived from 'nettle' (kopřiva in Czech,Nessel in German). The name refers to the probable founder of Šostýn Castle (German:Schauenstein), BishopBruno von Schauenburg, who had a nettle in his coat of arms.[3]
Kopřivnice is located about 9 kilometres (6 mi) east ofNový Jičín and 23 km (14 mi) south ofOstrava. It lies in theMoravian-Silesian Foothills. The highest point is the hill Pískovna at 584 m (1,916 ft) above sea level. The town proper is situated on the Kopřivnička Stream. The stream flows to theLubina River, which flows through the northern and eastern part of the territory of Kopřivnice.
Větřkovice Reservoir is located in the territory. Completed in 1976, it serves as a water supply for the Tatra Trucks company and the industrial zone, as a recreational area, and for fish farming.[4]
The Šoštýn Castle was founded around 1280–1290 and was first documented in 1347. The settlement was probably established soon after the castle. The first written mention of Kopřivnice is from 1437, when the castle and its surroundings were bought by EmperorSigismund and joined to theHukvaldy estate. In 1465, the estate was owned by KingGeorge of Poděbrady, who sold it a year later toOlomouc bishop Tas of Boskovice. Kopřivnice then became a property of the Olomouc bishopric.[5]
For centuries, Kopřivnice remained only a village that did not escape the invasions of troops during theThirty Years' War, natural disasters, crop failures, or epidemics. A turning point in the history of Kopřivnice was the establishment of a factory for earthenware in 1812. The factory gained fame throughout the wholeAustria-Hungary with its products, and existed until 1962. The main driving force of industrialization was the carriage factory ofIgnaz Schustala. In the early 20th century, the factory employed 5,000 workers, which forced the construction of additional residential houses. Thanks to the overall growth, Kopřivnice was promoted to amarket town in 1910.[5]
DuringWorld War II, Kopřivnice was annexed byNazi Germany. In 1945 the German population wasexpelled according to theBeneš Decrees. In 1948, Kopřivnice became a town.[5]
In 1950, the municipalities of Drnholec nad Lubinou and Větřkovice merged and formed the municipality of Lubina. In 1979, Lubina was joined to Kopřivnice, Mniší and Vlčovice were joined in 1980.Závišice was a part of Kopřivnice from 1976 to 1990. In 1990, it became an independent municipality.[6]
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| Source: Censuses[7][8] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kopřivnice is known for the automotive and transportation industry, represented by theTatra company. The company is one of the oldest manufacturers of vehicles with a continuous history in the world. In 1850, Ignaz Schustala started making herecarriages, later the production of railway wagons was added. The first passenger carPräsident was manufactured in 1897, the first truck in 1898. After World War II, trucks became the mainstay of production.[9]
After restructuring in 2013, the company changed its name toTatra Trucks. As of 2020, Tatra Trucks employs more than 1,000 people.Tatra Metalurgie, a subsidiary focusing on foundry and forging, employs about 600 people.[9]
There is also a large industrial zone with several major companies, mainly focused on production of automotive components. The largest employer of them isBrose CZ.[10]
The I/58 road fromOstrava toRožnov pod Radhoštěm passes through the town.
Kopřivnice is located on the railway lines Ostrava–Štramberk andStudénka–Veřovice. The town is served by two train stations:Kopřivnice andKopřivnice zastávka.[11]
The main sports facility is the stadium Stadion Emila Zátopka. It is a multi-purpose stadium that hosts football, athletics andmotorcycle speedway. There are also volleyball courts and a clay tennis court.[12] It has a capacity of 9,000 people.[13]
Kopřivnice is known for the Athletics Club of Emil Zátopek Kopřivnice. Like the local stadium, the club also bears the name ofEmil Zátopek, a local native who is one of the most important Czech sportsmen of all time.[14]
The town is represented by the football club FC Kopřivnice. It plays in lower amateur tiers.[15]
The speedway team SPT PROFIL Team Kopřivnice competes in theCzech Republic Team Speedway Championship.[16]
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The Church of Saint Bartholomew is the landmark of the town. Theneo-Gothic church was built in 1893–1894. Some of the works of art that adorn it come from the original old wooden church, which stood next toFojtství (i.e. "Advocatus' residence").[17]
Fojtství is the oldest preserved building in the town. The original wooden building from 1576 was rebuilt to its current form in 1789. It houses the Fojtství Museum that is dedicated to the history of the town. It also includes a barn, whereIgnaz Schustala started making carriages and laid the foundation for the Tatra factory.[18][19]
There are several museums that reflect the town's industrial tradition. The Tatra Technical Museum has a complete collection ofTatra passenger cars.[18] The Oldtimer Kopřivnice Auto-Moto-Museum presents an exhibition of historic vehicles and motorcycles of famous brands from around the world.[20]
The Tatra Trucks Museum, opened in 2021, presents an exposition of Tatra trucks. The museum also manages the depository of theSlovenská strela train.[21] Slovenská strela is a unique train, the only movable national cultural monument in the Moravian-Silesian Region, manufactured in Kopřivnice in 1936. The building of the depository is an architecturally awarded Building of the Year 2021 of the Czech Republic.[22]
TheLachian Museum is located in the Schustala's villa. The villa was built in the Neoclassical style in 1889, for the local carriage factory owner Josef Schustala. The exposition ofDana andEmil Zátopek, who is among the most famous natives, is also located here.[20]
Šostýn Castle is a Gothic castle from the late 13th century. The castle was conquered and destroyed in the 15th century. Today the ruin consists of the remains of a massive palace, two circuits of ramparts with moats, and the foundations of a cylindrical tower. On the neighbouring hill is located the Bezruč Viewpoint, a 13 metres (43 ft) high wooden observation tower dedicated to poetPetr Bezruč.[20]
Kopřivnice istwinned with:[23]
Bánovce nad Bebravou, Slovakia
Castiglione del Lago, Italy
Myszków, Poland
Trappes, France
Zwönitz, Germany
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