Prostějov | |
|---|---|
 T. G. Masaryka Square | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Prostějov Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates:49°28′20″N17°6′38″E / 49.47222°N 17.11056°E /49.47222; 17.11056 | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Olomouc |
| District | Prostějov |
| First mentioned | 1141 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | František Jura (ANO) |
| Area | |
• Total | 39.04 km2 (15.07 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 223 m (732 ft) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 43,563 |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 796 01 |
| Website | www |
Prostějov (Czech pronunciation:[ˈproscɛjof]ⓘ;German:Proßnitz) is a city in theOlomouc Region of theCzech Republic. It has about 44,000 inhabitants. The city is historically known for itsfashion industry. The historic city centre is well preserved and is protected by law as anurban monument zone.
AČRspecial forces unit601. skss is based in Prostějov.
.jpg)
Prostějov consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]
The original name of Prostějov was Prostějovice. The name was derived from the personal name Prostěj (a variant of the name Prostimír), meaning "the village of Prostěj's people". After the village was promoted to a town, the name changed to Prostějov.[3]
Prostějov is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) southwest ofOlomouc and 45 km (28 mi) northeast ofBrno. It lies mostly in a flat agricultural landscape of theUpper Morava Valley. The western tip of the municipal territory extends into theDrahany Highlands and includes the highest point of Prostějov at 368 m (1,207 ft) above sea level. The city is situated at the confluence of theRomže River and Hloučela Stream, which is located in Vrahovice.
The first written mention of Prostějov is from 1141. In 1365, the settlement was promoted to amarket town and in 1390 to a town. Before 1390, Prostějov was acquired by the Lords of Kravaře and joined to thePlumlov estate. It remained part of it until 1848 and shared its owners and destinies.[4]
An Augustinian monastery was founded in 1391, but it was destroyed before 1430 by theHussites. From 1454, theJewish community lived in Prostějov. In 1495, the Plumov estate with Prostějov was bought by thePernštejn family and the construction of the town walls began.[4] The Prostějov Castle was built in 1522–1526 byJan of Pernštejn as a part of town walls. In 1568–1572 the castle was rebuilt in theRenaissance style.[5]
The Pernštejn family owned Prostějov until 1599. From 1599 to 1848, it was a property of theHouse of Liechtenstein. The monastery of theMerciful Brothers was established between 1727 and 1730. TheCapuchin monastery was established in 1764, but was abolished in 1784.[4]
In 1869, the demolition of the city walls began. Thanks to the Jewish community in particular, Prostějov has become an important commercial and industrial centre. Mass production of textile clothing began in the 1840s and at the end of the century, the textile industry gained a privileged position in the whole of Austria-Hungary (one-third of the state's total production was from Prostějov). In the late 19th century, Prostějov was the third largest city inMoravia afterBrno andJihlava.[4]
In theAustrian Empire andAustria-Hungary, Prostějov was part of theMargraviate of Moravia. In 1918, it became part of independentCzechoslovakia. The period ofGerman occupation lasted from March 1939 until May 1945. During this time, Prostějov was administered as a part of theProtectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The Jewish community basically disappeared as a result of theHolocaust.[4]
During the socialist period, prefabricated housing estates were built on the outskirts of the city (built in 1963–1990) and extensive demolitions took place in the historic centre.[4]
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Censuses[6][7] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The city is historically associated with the textile industry. The tradition began already in 1500 when a tailor's guild was founded. In the middle of the 19th century, the firstclothing factory in Europe was built here. In 1910, the industry employed 12,000 people.[8]
Oděvní podnik Prostějov, the biggest textile company in the country with about 10,000 employees, was founded in 1964. After thefall of communism in Czechoslovakia, the company failed to restructure and adapt to market mechanisms, and went bankrupt in 2010.[8] Nowadays, the tradition is held by several smaller companies.[9]
Nowadays, the largest industrial employers based in the city are Makovec (meat processor) and Mubea Stabilizer Bar Systems (manufacturer of automotive parts), both employing more than 1,000 people. The largest non-industrial employer is the hospital.[10]
TheD46 motorway (part of theEuropean route E462) from Olomouc toVyškov passes through Prostějov.
Prostějov lines on the interregional railway lineBrno–Šumperk.
The city is known for the tennis clubTK Agrofert Prostějov, connected with many of the biggest names of the Czech tennis history.[11]
Prostějov is home to the football club1. SK Prostějov, which plays inCzech National Football League (2nd tier), and to the ice hockey clubLHK Jestřábi Prostějov, which plays in the1st Czech Republic Hockey League (2nd tier).
The historic centre is formed by theT. G. Masaryka Square and its surroundings, which include several other smaller squares. The central square is lined by burgher houses with Renaissance or Baroque cores, and facades mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the houses is the birthplace ofJiří Wolker, one of the most important natives. The landmark of the square is the city hall from 1911–1914 with a 66 metres (217 ft) high tower, which is open to the public.[12] In the middle of the square is a Baroque Marian column from 1714.[13]
Prostějov Castle on the Pernštýnské Square is one of the most significant buildings in the city. It was reconstructed after 1893 and decorated with modern sgraffito byJano Köhler. Today it is owned by the city.[12]
The Museum and Gallery in Prostějov is located in the former town hall from 1530. The museum has been housed in this Renaissance building since 1905.[12]
TheNational House is a national cultural monument, considered a masterpiece of Czechmodernism andArt Nouveau. It was built in 1905–1907.[12]
TheChurch of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, founded together with an Augustinian monastery in 1391, is the oldest monument in Prostějov. The originally Gothic church was later baroque modified. It is decorated with frescoes by Jano Köhler and with theWay of the Cross cycle byFrantišek Bílek.[13]
The Church of SaintJohn of Nepomuk, built in 1750–1755, is a part of the former monastery of the Merciful Brothers. The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius was founded together with the Capuchin monastery. In the early 20th century, it was neo-Baroque rebuilt and consecrated to SaintsCyril and Methodius.[13]
The formerOld Synagogue was originally ayeshiva, rebuilt into a synagogue withEmpire style elements in the 1830s. Today it is privately owned and inaccessible. The former New Synagogue was built opposite the old one in 1904, originally in Art Nouveau style. After the World War II, it was sold toCzechoslovak Hussite Church and arranged as a prayer house of this church, which it is to this day. Other Jewish monuments in the city are several old preserved houses, the new cemetery established in 1908, and the remains of the old cemetery, the surface of which was devastated during the war.[14]
Środa Wielkopolska, Poland
Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
