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Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the
Moravian-Silesian Region The Moravian-Silesian Region ( cs, Moravskoslezský kraj; pl, Kraj morawsko-śląski; sk, Moravsko-sliezsky kraj) is one of the 14 administrative regions of the Czech Republic. Before May 2001, it was called the Ostrava Region ( cs, Ostravský ...
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 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the
Olza Olza may refer to: *Olza (river), a river in the Czech Republic and Poland *Olza, Silesian Voivodeship, a village in Poland *Cendea de Olza/Oltza Zendea, a municipality in Spain *SS Olza, SS ''Olza'', a Polish ship {{disambig ...
River in the historical region of
Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Tě ...
. Karviná is known as an industrial city with tradition in coal mining. The historic centre in Karviná-Fryštát is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.


Administrative parts

Karviná is made up of nine city parts and villages: * Doly *
Fryštát Fryštát (; pl, Frysztat ; german: Freistadt ; Cieszyn Silesian: ) is an administrative part of the city of Karviná in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. Until 1948 it was a separate town. It lies on the Olza River, in the h ...
*Hranice * Lázně Darkov * Louky *
Mizerov Mizerov ( pl, Mizerów, german: Miserau) is a district of the city of Karviná in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It was formerly an independent village but was later incorporated into Fryštát, and later Karviná. It ...
*Nové Město *
Ráj Ráj ( pl, Raj, german: Roj) is a district of the city of Karviná in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It was a separate municipality but in 1948 became administratively a part of the city of Karviná. It lies in the h ...
* Staré Město


Geography

Karviná is located about east of
Ostrava Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...
on the border with
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, in the historical region of
Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Tě ...
. It lies in the
Ostrava Basin Ostrava Basin ( cs, Ostravská pánev, german: Ostrauer Becken, pl, Kotlina OstrawskaProf. Jerzy Kondracki. Geografia fizyczna Polski. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. Warszawa. 1988. ) is a lowland region, located in eastern Czech Republic and s ...
. The town is situated on the right bank of the
Olza Olza may refer to: *Olza (river), a river in the Czech Republic and Poland *Olza, Silesian Voivodeship, a village in Poland *Cendea de Olza/Oltza Zendea, a municipality in Spain *SS Olza, SS ''Olza'', a Polish ship {{disambig ...
River. The territory is rich in ponds.


History

The first written mention of Karviná is from 1268. It was located on a trade route, which helped its development. It gained various privileges, but the prosperity ended with the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
. The discovery of
hard coal Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the high ...
deposits in Karviná in the second half of the 18th century brought a major turnaround in the economic development of Karviná and the entire region. The less significant village of Karviná near the important town of
Fryštát Fryštát (; pl, Frysztat ; german: Freistadt ; Cieszyn Silesian: ) is an administrative part of the city of Karviná in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. Until 1948 it was a separate town. It lies on the Olza River, in the h ...
gained importance for the whole
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. Following
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, it was contested by
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
, and after the split of Cieszyn Silesia in 1920 it became a part of
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
as the main mining centre in the country. In 1923, it gained city rights. In October 1938 was annexed by
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, together with the entire region known as
Zaolzie Trans-Olza ( pl, Zaolzie, ; cs, Záolží, ''Záolší''; german: Olsa-Gebiet; Cieszyn Silesian: ''Zaolzi''), also known as Trans-Olza Silesia (Polish: ''Śląsk Zaolziański''), is a territory in the Czech Republic, which was disputed betwee ...
, and during
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 opposin ...
it was occupied by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. The Germans operated a
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
prison in the city, and several
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
camps, including a ''
Polenlager The ''Polenlager'' (, ''Polish Camps'') was a system of forced labor camps in Silesia that held Poles during the World War II Nazi German occupation of Poland. The prisoners, originally destined for deportation across the border to the new semi-c ...
'' solely for
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
, a camp solely for
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and a subcamp of the Nazi prison in
Cieszyn Cieszyn ( , ; cs, Těšín ; german: Teschen; la, Tessin; szl, Ćeszyn) is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitant ...
. After the war it again became a part of Czechoslovakia. In 1948 Karviná, Fryštát, and the surrounding villages of Darkov,
Ráj Ráj ( pl, Raj, german: Roj) is a district of the city of Karviná in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It was a separate municipality but in 1948 became administratively a part of the city of Karviná. It lies in the h ...
, and Staré Město were merged into one city named Karviná. The coat of arms of Fryštát was chosen as the coat of arms of Karviná and Fryštát became the historical centre of this industrial city. The period after World War II is characterised by the economic orientation on heavy industry. In 2003, Karviná became a statutory city.


Demographics

According to the 1980 census, at its peak, Karviná had 78,546 inhabitants, but the population dropped under 51,000. According to the 2011 census, 5.7% of the population are
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
and 5.4% of the population are
Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...
. The Polish population has been historically declining. In the past the town had a significant
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
community. There is also a growing
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
community.


Economy

Karviná is one of the most important
coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
centres in the country. Together with neighbouring cities it forms the industrial Ostrava-Karviná Coal Basin. Due to low profitability, however, mining is curtailed and in 2021, two mines were closed. Coal mining as the main economic activity in the city will be gradually replaced by revitalization of the landscape after mining.


Education

Karviná is the centre of education of the region with its wide range of specialised secondary schools and, especially, the School of Business Administration of the Silesian University in Opava.


Sport

Karviná, as a multi-ethnic city of
Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Tě ...
, was a home to many football clubs established by particular ethnic groups after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. At that time many football clubs within the Polish, German, Czech, and Jewish communities were founded. The best known and most successful Polish club was PKS Polonia Karwina, founded in 1919. 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 opposin ...
, the German and Jewish clubs were not reestablished. The Czech and Polish clubs existed until the 1950s, when as a part of a communist unification of sport in Czechoslovakia, the Czech clubs were joined to ZSJ OKD Mír Karviná and the Polish Polonia Karwina was incorporated into that club. Today, the only football club in the city is
MFK Karviná MFK Karviná is a football club located in Karviná, Czech Republic. It plays in the Czech National Football League. The club took part in the Czech First League in 2016–2022. The team's colours are green and white. History Karviná as a mult ...
, playing in the
Czech National Football League The Czech National Football League ( cs, Fotbalová národní liga, ''FNL''), currently known as Fortuna národní liga due to sponsorship reasons, is the second level professional association football league in the Czech Republic. Before 2013 it ...
. Karviná is also home to a successful
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
club,
HCB Karviná Handball Club Baník Karviná or HCB Karviná is a Czech handball club based in Karviná, Czech Republic. Baník Karviná is one of the most successful handball clubs in the country, having won the Chance Extraliga twelve times. History Th ...
, which became twice Czechoslovak champions and eleven times Czech champions. Other sport clubs in the city include two
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
teams SK Karviná (playing in the lower division) and HC Baník Karviná (playing in the 2nd Czech league), and the
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
club, with tennis, gymnastics, and ice skating being also very popular and established sports within the region.


Sights

The last remnant of the original village of Karviná is the baroque Church of Saint Peter of Alcántara in Doly. After the area was undermined during the coal mining, it fell by and inclined 6.8° south of the vertical axis. Today the historic centre is located in Fryštát part of Karviná. The main sight is the Fryštát Castle. The original structure was rebuilt and reconstructed several times, after it was finally rebuilt in the
Empire style The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 durin ...
in 1800. In the same time, the English castle park was founded. Nowadays it is owned by the city and since 1997 it has been open to the public. The Sokolovských hrdinů Bridge in Darkov is a reinforced concrete road bridge from 1922–1925, protected as a cultural monument.


Notable people

* Wacław Olszak (1868–1939), Polish mayor of Karviná (1929–1936) *
Emanuel Grim Emanuel Grim (1 January 1883 – 18 October 1950) was a Polish Catholic priest, writer and journalist from the region of Cieszyn Silesia. He was one of the most important figures of the Polish-Catholic political camp in Cieszyn Silesia in the ...
(1883–1950), Polish Catholic priest and writer * Gustaw Morcinek (1891–1963), Polish writer *
Louis Kentner Louis Philip Kentner (19 July 190523 September 1987) was a Hungarian, later British, pianist who excelled in the works of Chopin and Liszt, as well as the Hungarian repertoire. Life and career He was born Lajos Kentner in Karwin in Austrian S ...
(1905–1987), Hungarian-British pianist *
Dana Zátopková Dana Zátopková (; née Ingrová , 19 September 1922 – 13 March 2020) was a Czech javelin thrower. She won the gold medal for javelin at the 1952 Summer Olympics (only an hour after her husband, Emil Zátopek, won the 5,000 m), and the silver ...
(1922–2020), athlete * Wilhelm Przeczek (1936–2006), Polish writer *
Dáša Vokatá Dáša Vokatá (born 27 January 1954 in Karviná) is a Czech singer-songwriter. She signed Charter 77 and after she emigrated to Austria. Her debut album called ''Láska'' was released in 1985. After the Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revoluti ...
(born 1954), singer-songwriter * Miloš Doležal (born 1966), musician * Eva Kurfürstová (born 1977), alpine skier *
Radek Štěpánek Radek Štěpánek (; born 27 November 1978) is a Czech former professional tennis player. His career-high singles ranking was world No. 8 and best doubles ranking was world No. 4. Štěpánek's biggest achievements are reaching two Masters 1000 ...
(born 1978), tennis player *
Petra Němcová Petra Němcová (; born 24 June 1979) is a Czech model, television host, and philanthropist who founded the ''Happy Hearts Fund''. In 2017, the ''Happy Hearts Fund'' merged with All Hands Volunteers to create All Hands And Hearts - Smart Respon ...
(born 1979), model * Jaroslav Bába (born 1984), athlete * Denisa Rosolová (born 1986), athlete


Twin towns – sister cities

Karviná is twinned with: *
Jastrzębie-Zdrój Jastrzębie-Zdrój (; german: Bad Königsdorff-Jastrzemb, originally ''Jastrzemb'', cs, Lázně Jestřebí, szl, Jastrzymbie-Zdrōj or ''Jastrzymbje-Zdrůj'') is a city in south Poland with 86,632 inhabitants (2021). Its name comes from the Poli ...
, Poland *
Jaworzno Jaworzno is a city in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Przemsza river (a tributary of the Vistula). Jaworzno belongs to the historic province of Lesser Poland. The city is situated in the Silesian Voivod ...
, Poland * Kaili, China *
Rybnik Rybnik (Polish pronunciation: ; szl, Rybńik) is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, around 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Katowice, the region's capital, and around 19 km (11 miles) from the Czech border. It is ...
, Poland *
Wodzisław Śląski Wodzisław Śląski (; german: Loslau, cs, Vladislav, la, Vladislavia, yi, וואידסלוב, Voydislav, szl, Władźisłůw) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 47,992 inhabitants (2019). It is the seat of Wodzisław Cou ...
, Poland


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karvina Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Karviná District Mining communities in the Czech Republic