Ruda nad Moravou (german: Eisenberg) is a municipality and village in

Šumperk District Šumperk District ( cs, okres Šumperk) is a district (''okres'') within the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic Its administrative centre is the town of Šumperk. Šumperk District shares border with the districts of Olomouc (to the south), Svi ...

in the

Olomouc Region Olomouc Region ( cs, Olomoucký kraj; , ; pl, Kraj ołomuniecki) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia (''Morava'') and in a small part of t ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 2,500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Villages of Bartoňov, Radomilov, Hrabenov, Hostice and Štědrákova Lhota are administrative parts of Ruda nad Moravou.

Etymology

The origin of the name is connected with iron ore mining; ''ruda'' means "ore" in Czech. The name appeared first in Latin as ''Ferreus Mons'' and in German as ''Eisenberg'', both meaning "iron mountain". From 1880, the municipality is named Ruda nad Moravou, literally "Ore above the Morava (river)" to distinguish from other places with the same name.

Geography

Ruda nad Moravou is located about west of

Šumperk Šumperk (; german: Mährisch Schönberg) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 26,000 inhabitants. It is the centre of the north of Moravia and, due to its location, is known as "The Gate to the Jeseníky mountains ...

and northwest of

Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on t ...

. The Morava River flows through the municipality. The built-up area around the Morava is located mainly in the Mohelnice Depression lowlands. Rest of the territory is located in the

Hanušovice Highlands Hanušovice Highlands ( cs, Hanušovická vrchovina, german: Hannsdorfer Bergland) are highlands within the Eastern Sudetes mountain range that runs between Poland and the Czech Republic. It is named after Hanušovice town. The area is 793 ...

. The highest point of the municipality is the peak of Háj with an altitude of .

History

The first written mention of Ruda nad Moravou is from 1350. A church and parish were already there and the iron ore was mined. Until 1397, it was probably a part of the

Zábřeh Zábřeh (; german: Hohenstadt) is a town in Šumperk District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Dolní Bušínov, Hněvkov, Pivonín and Václavov are administrative p ...

estate owned by the Sternberg family. From 1397 to 1447, it was owned by lords of Kravaře, who laid the foundation of an independent estate. Ruda was owned by the Tunkl of Brníčko family in 1447–1508, by Mikuláš Trčka of Lípa in 1508–1512, and by lords of Boskovice in 1512–1596. In 1596, Ruda was separated from the Zábřeh estate and sold to the

Zierotin The House of Žerotín or House of Zierotin was a Czech noble family in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, one of the oldest and most illustrious noble families from Bohemia and Moravia. The family was first mentioned around the year 1200 as ''B ...

family. Lord Bernard of Zierotin had built a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

castle here in 1610. After the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain ( cz, Bitva na Bílé hoře; german: Schlacht am Weißen Berg) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the n ...

, the properties of the Zierotins were confiscated and Ruda was acquired by the

House of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein, from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty's ...

. The village was then heavily stroke by events of

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

. The Liechtensteins owned it until 1848. In 1896, the municipality was divided to two parts, the Czech Horní Ruda ("Upper Ruda") and the Sudeten German Dolní Ruda ("Lower Ruda"). This two municipalities were united again in 1920. The German population was expelled after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 1960, the village of Hostice was joined to Ruda nad Moravou. In 1980, Hrabenov was joined.

Demographics

Economy

A significant company located in Ruda nad Moravou is Lesy Ruda a.s. that harvest wood in nearby forests.

Transport

Ruda nad Moravou lies on the railway lines Hanušovice–

and

Jeseník Jeseník (; until 1947 Frývaldov (); german: Freiwaldau, pl, Frywałdów) is a spa town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Bukovice and Dětřichov are administrative ...

–

. There are two railway stops, ''Ruda nad Moravou'' and ''Bartoňov''. The municipality is also served by several bus lines.

Sights

The most valuable monument is the Renaissance castle. Today it is privately owned and gradually reconstructed. The Church of Saint Lawrence is the landmark of the village. The current structure was built in 1784–1806. An architecturally valuable

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

building of a distillery from the first half of the 19th century has been preserved. There is also an Empire house from 1818. On the Háj Hill there is an eponymous observation tower.