Velké Opatovice () is a town in

Blansko District Blansko District () is a Okres, district in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Blansko. Administrative division Blansko District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with exten ...

in the

South Moravian Region The South Moravian Region (; , ; ), or just South Moravia, is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia. The region's capital is Brno, th ...

of the

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

. It has about 3,500 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Velké Opatovice consists of six municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Velké Opatovice (3,151) *Bezďečí (55) *Brťov (81) *Korbelova Lhota (40) *Svárov (42) *Velká Roudka (95)

Geography

Velké Opatovice is located about north of

Blansko Blansko (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Svitava River on the border of the Moravian Karst. It is mainly an industrial town. Administrative division Blansko consi ...

and north of

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

. It lies on the border between the

Boskovice Furrow Boskovice (; ) is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. The area of the historic town centre, Jewish quarter, château complex and castle ruin is well preserved and is protec ...

and Orlické Foothills. The highest point is a contour line at above sea level. The Jevíčka Stream flows through the town. The municipality of Malá Roudka forms an

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

in the municipal territory of Velké Opatovice.

History

The first written mention of Opatovice is from 1308. There were two fortresses owned by different lords. It was originally two separate villages called Horní ("Upper") Opatovice and Dolní ("Lower") Opatovice. In 1848 they were merged and name Opatovice. The "Velké" adjective (meaning "great") was added in 1888. It 1969, the municipality became a town.

Demographics

Economy

Velké Opatovice is home to one of the largest employers in the region, P-D Refractories CZ company, which is a manufacturer and distributor of refractory products and raw materials. The predecessor of the company, which mined claystone in the area, was founded in 1892. From 1950, the company was known as ''Moravské šamotové a lupkové závody'' (i.e. "Moravian

grog Grog is a term used for a variety of alcoholic beverages. Origin and history Popularization of rum and invention of grog Following Invasion of Jamaica, England's conquest of Jamaica in 1655, rum gradually replaced beer and brandy as the drink ...

and

fire clay Fire clay is a range of refractory clays used in the manufacture of ceramics, especially fire brick. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines fire clay very generally as a "mineral aggregate composed of hydrous silicates of alumi ...

plants"). In 2000, it was acquired by the international Preiss-Daimler Group and renamed.

Transport

The railway that runs through Velké Opatovice is unused.

Sights

The Velké Opatovice Castle is the main monument. The Baroque castle was built on the site of a Gothic fortress in 1757. The Art Nouveau modifications were made in 1913. Since 1924, it is a property of the town. After a fire in 1973, it was partially repaired in the late Baroque style. Today the castle complex houses the town hall, a cinema, and two museums. The Moravian Cartographic Centre is focused on historical development of cartography, especially in the Czech Republic and on geodetic and cartographic instruments and aids. The main exhibit is a plastic map of the lands of

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

and

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

with an area of . The Museum and Monument of Velké Opatovice presents historic and ethnographic collections, local industry, and works of local artists. It also includes the memorial hall of the sculptor

Karel Otáhal Karel Otáhal (19 January 1901 – 23 August 1972) was a Czech sculptor. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad a ...

, who lived here for 29 years. Otáhal is also the creator of a lifesize statue of

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

located in the castle grounds. The Church of Saint George was built in 1790–1791 and replaced an old Gothic church from the late 14th century. Its main attraction is the altar sculpture from 1951 by Karel Otáhal, depicting St. George fighting with the dragon.

Notable people

(1901–1972), sculptor; lived and died here

Twin towns – sister cities

Velké Opatovice is twinned with: *

Elbingerode Elbingerode is an ''Ortsteil'' of Oberharz am Brocken in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The former town was incorporated into the newly established municipality on 1 January 2010. Its population is 3,101 (2021). Geogra ...

, Germany * Stari Grad, Croatia

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Velke Opatovice Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Blansko District