Mikulcice
Encyclopedia
Mikulčice (ˈmɪkultʃɪtsɛ) is a municipality (obec
) in the Czech Republic
, situated 7 km south of Hodonín
, near the border with Slovakia
. It belongs to the Hodonín District
and the South Moravian Region
. It extends out for 1,530 ha, with 1,955 inhabitants in 623 homes. Mikulčice has a biospheric reserve, containing for example beaver
s and stork
nests. The local economy is based on agriculture and tourism.
and plausibly also its capital
. Excavations, led by Josef Poulík, unearthed the remnants of 12 churches, a palace, and more than 2,500 graves (three of them containing skeletons of Africans). It is protected as a national cultural heritage site Mikulčice-Valy. In addition to this site, the only still-standing church safely dated to the Great Moravian period can be found in the nearby village of Kopčany
(in Slovakia). The oldest written references referring to the village of Mikulčice itself dates back to 1131 (Miculcici).
Obec
Obec is the Czech and Slovak word for a municipality . The literal meaning of the word is "commune" or "community". It is the smallest administrative unit that is governed by elected representatives. Cities are also municipalities...
) in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, situated 7 km south of Hodonín
Hodonín
Hodonín is a town on the River Morava in the southeast of Moravia, in the Czech Republic. It lies in the South Moravian Region. The population is 26,226 . Hodonín was first mentioned in 1046. In 1228 it became a town...
, near the border with Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It belongs to the Hodonín District
Hodonín District
Hodonín District is one of seven districts within South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic...
and the South Moravian Region
South Moravian Region
South Moravian Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia, with exception of Jobova Lhota, that belongs to Bohemia. Its capital is Brno the 2nd largest city of the Czech Republic. The region is famous for its wine...
. It extends out for 1,530 ha, with 1,955 inhabitants in 623 homes. Mikulčice has a biospheric reserve, containing for example beaver
European Beaver
The Eurasian beaver or European beaver is a species of beaver, which was once widespread in Eurasia, where it was hunted to near extinction both for fur and for castoreum, a secretion of its scent gland believed to have medicinal properties...
s and stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
nests. The local economy is based on agriculture and tourism.
History
In the 6th to 10th centuries, a Slavic early medieval fortified settlement existed 3 km away from today's village of Mikulčice. It was one of the main centers of Great MoraviaGreat Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
and plausibly also its capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
. Excavations, led by Josef Poulík, unearthed the remnants of 12 churches, a palace, and more than 2,500 graves (three of them containing skeletons of Africans). It is protected as a national cultural heritage site Mikulčice-Valy. In addition to this site, the only still-standing church safely dated to the Great Moravian period can be found in the nearby village of Kopčany
Kopcany
Kopčany is a village in western Slovakia, close to the borders with the Czech Republic.-History:In historical records Kopčany was first mentioned in 1392. However, the village is much older. In the 9th century, Kopčany was part of the agglomeration of Mikulčice, an important center and plausibly...
(in Slovakia). The oldest written references referring to the village of Mikulčice itself dates back to 1131 (Miculcici).