Zábreh
Encyclopedia
Zábřeh (ˈzaːbr̝ɛx; ) is a town in the Olomouc Region
of the Czech Republic
. It has around 14,500 inhabitants. The town itself is built up "behind the bank" ("za břehem") of the Moravská Sázava river.
The ownership of Zábřeh can be ascribed to many famous houses of the time. The most famous one and probably the most cruel one was the house of Tunkl‘s. Their ownership of the town dates back to the year 1442. The house was known for its countless arguments with neighbouring masters and also for its behaviour towards its vassals. However, they rebuilt the fortress and changed it into a castle, they had also a merit in pond foundation around the river Moravská Sázava. The struggle of vassals against their master Jiří Sr. Tunkl in between the years 1492–1494 marked the end of this house. Then the town came under the mastership of the house Trčkové from Lípa, but only for a little while. The house was replaced by a more powerful one – the Boskovicové.
The town went through a lot during further years. The situation got better in 18th century, when the castle was rebuilt once again and extended along with a baroque parish church. In 19th century a famous Prague - Olomouc railway began to grow marking Zábřeh as a powerful centre of economy, government and cultural life.
The year 1918, when the Czechoslovakia came into being, meant for Zábřeh the beginning of good, but short period. The Munich dictate tore Zábřeh from the rest of the republic and marked it as a German town. Hitler's soldiers marched into the town victoriously, greeted by German inhabitants of Zábřeh.
After World War II
, the town naturally evolved alike other town and cities in the republic. Nowadays the town belongs to Olomouc Region
, Šumperk District
.
Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia and in a small part of the historical region of Silesia . It is named for its capital Olomouc.-External links:* *...
of 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....
. It has around 14,500 inhabitants. The town itself is built up "behind the bank" ("za břehem") of the Moravská Sázava river.
History
Zábřeh has a long and rich past. The first note about the town is dated back to 13th century, to the year 1254 to be exact, when a man of the name Sulislav from Zábřeh was mentioned. We know for sure that the city itself was founded before the year 1289, because of the name Hohenstadt appeared in sources. However, we can’t talk about a town for now. Most likely there was a fortress around which a plantation began to grow and change into a town gradually.The ownership of Zábřeh can be ascribed to many famous houses of the time. The most famous one and probably the most cruel one was the house of Tunkl‘s. Their ownership of the town dates back to the year 1442. The house was known for its countless arguments with neighbouring masters and also for its behaviour towards its vassals. However, they rebuilt the fortress and changed it into a castle, they had also a merit in pond foundation around the river Moravská Sázava. The struggle of vassals against their master Jiří Sr. Tunkl in between the years 1492–1494 marked the end of this house. Then the town came under the mastership of the house Trčkové from Lípa, but only for a little while. The house was replaced by a more powerful one – the Boskovicové.
The town went through a lot during further years. The situation got better in 18th century, when the castle was rebuilt once again and extended along with a baroque parish church. In 19th century a famous Prague - Olomouc railway began to grow marking Zábřeh as a powerful centre of economy, government and cultural life.
The year 1918, when the Czechoslovakia came into being, meant for Zábřeh the beginning of good, but short period. The Munich dictate tore Zábřeh from the rest of the republic and marked it as a German town. Hitler's soldiers marched into the town victoriously, greeted by German inhabitants of Zábřeh.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town naturally evolved alike other town and cities in the republic. Nowadays the town belongs to Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia and in a small part of the historical region of Silesia . It is named for its capital Olomouc.-External links:* *...
, Šumperk District
Šumperk District
Šumperk District is a district within the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. Its administrative centre is the town of Šumperk.-Complete list of municipalities:Bludov -Bohdíkov -Bohuslavice -Bohutín -Branná -Bratrušov -Brníčko -Bušín -...
.
Famous natives
- František Kahlik (1854–1908) - a teacher, a historian and a geographer, Kahlik founded the first Czech grammar-school in north-west Moravia in the year 1896. His son Václav Kálik was a known composer.
- Josef Macek (1887–1972) - a politician and an economist, Macek was connected with the University of business in Prague and lately with the university of Pittsburgh.
- Magdalena Vizovská - born in one of the town's oldest house Dům pod podloubím located on Masaryk's square Vizovská is best known as a wife of famous Jan Amos Komenský.
- Jan Eskymo WelzlJan Eskymo WelzlJan Welzl was a Moravian traveller, adventurer, hunter, gold-digger, Eskimo chief and Chief Justice in New Siberia and later story-teller and writer...
(1868–1948) - a traveller, a polar explorer, a gold-digger and most importantly an adventurer.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Zábřeh is twinned with:| Handlová Handlová Handlová is a town in the Prievidza District, Trenčín Region in the middle of Slovakia. It is made up of the three parts Handlová, Nová Lehota and Morovno.-Geography:... in 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... Ochsenfurt Ochsenfurt Ochsenfurt is a town in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the River Main, here crossed by a stone bridge, 13 miles south from Würzburg by the railway to Munich, and at the junction of a line to Röttingen. Pop. 11,600... in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Biography
- MELZER, Miloš, SCHULZ, Jindřich a kol. Vlastivěda šumperského okresu. Šumperk : Okresní vlastivědné muzeum Šumperk, 1993. 585 s. ISBN 80-85083-02-7.