Zlín (in 1949–1989 Gottwaldov; ; ) is a city in 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 75,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the
Zlín Region and it lies on the
Dřevnice River. It is known as an industrial centre. The development of the modern city is closely connected to the
Bata Shoes company and its social scheme, developed after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. A large part of Zlín is urbanistically and architecturally valuable and is protected as an
urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Zlín consists of 16 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Zlín (48,317)
*Prštné (3,345)
*Louky (1,027)
*Mladcová (2,525)
*Příluky (2,931)
*Jaroslavice (822)
*Kudlov (2,195)
*Malenovice (7,156)
*Chlum (144)
*Klečůvka (332)
*Kostelec (1,909)
*Lhotka (235)
*Lužkovice (634)
*Salaš (195)
*Štípa (1,798)
*Velíková (613)
Prštné, Louky, Mladcová, Příluky, Jaroslavice, Kudlov and Malenovice are urbanistically fused with Zlín. They are sometimes called Zlín II–VIII, which was part of their name at the time when they were administratively merged with Zlín.
Etymology
There are several legends about the origin of the name of the city, according to which it was derived from ''slín'' (i.e. "
marl") or ''zlaté jablko'' (i.e. "golden apple"). However, the name Zlín was most likely derived from the old personal
Slavic name Zla, Zlen or Zleš.
From 1949 to 1989, the city was renamed ''Gottwaldov'' after the first communist president of Czechoslovakia
Klement Gottwald
Klement Gottwald (; 23 November 1896 – 14 March 1953) was a Czech communist politician, who was the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1929 until his death in 1953 – titled as general secretary until 1945 and as chairman f ...
. On 1 January 1990, the city's name was changed back to Zlín.
Geography
Zlín is located about east 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 forms an urban area together with the town of
Otrokovice. The territory of the city lies in the
Vizovice Highlands. The highest point is the hill Tlustá hora at above sea level. The
Dřevnice River flows through the city. The Fryšták Reservoir is situated in the northern part of the municipal territory.
Climate
Zlín's climate is classified as
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Dfb'';
Trewartha: ''Dobk''). Among them, the annual average temperature is , the hottest month in July is , and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is , of which July is the wettest with , while January is the driest with only . The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on 9 February 1956 to on 8 July 1957.
History
14th–16th centuries
The first written mention of Zlín is from 1322, when it was acquired by Queen
Elizabeth Richeza.
In that time, Zlín was already a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
and served as a
craft guild centre for the surrounding area of
Moravian Wallachia. From 1358, the Zlín estate was owned by Bishop Albrecht of Šternberk and soon became the seat of the Moravian branch of the Šternberk family. In 1397, the town privileges of Zlín were extended and Zlín became a town. This significantly helped the economic development of Zlín.
[
The ]Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
badly affected properties of the Sternbergs and they were forced to sell Zlín in 1437. In the second half of the 15th century, Zlín was threatened by the Bohemian–Hungarian War. The 16th century brought peace and prosperity to the town. Trade and crafts flourished, mainly drapery, pottery and shoemaking. New villages were founded in the vicinity of Zlín, which became a large town and economic centre.[
]
17th–19th centuries
In 1605, Zlín was raided and burned by Hungarian rebels. The Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
left the town severely damaged and half deserted. The residents of Zlín, along with people from the whole Wallachian region, led an uprising against the Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
. The rebellion was however bloodily suppressed in 1644. After the war, Zlín became property of the Hungarian noble family of Serényi, but they did not care much for the town, and therefore Zlín recovered only slowly.[
Economic activity was restored in the 18th century. Larger industrial enterprises appeared in the mid-19th century. A small match factory was established in 1850 and a shoe factory in 1870, but both were soon closed, and the town continued to live mainly from the work of craftsmen. In 1899, the railway was built.][
]
20th century
Zlín began to grow rapidly after Tomáš Baťa and his siblings founded a shoe factory there in 1894, known as Bata Company. Production gradually increased, as did the number of employees and the population of the town. Baťa's factory supplied the Austro-Hungarian army in World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Due to the remarkable economic growth of the company and the increasing prosperity of its workers, Baťa himself was elected mayor of Zlín in 1923.
Baťa became the leading manufacturer and marketer of footwear in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
in 1922. Besides producing footwear, the company diversified into engineering, chemistry, rubber technology and many more areas. The factory hired thousands of workers who moved to Zlín. A new large complex of modern buildings and facilities was gradually built by the Baťa's company on the outskirts of the town in 1923–1938. It included thousands of flats, schools, department stores, scientific facilities, and a hospital. The development took place in a controlled manner and was based on modern urban concepts with the contribution of important architects of the time. Zlín became a hypermodern industrial city with functionalist character unique in Europe.[
After death of Tomáš Baťa in 1932, the company was managed by Jan Antonín Baťa, Hugo Vavrečka and Dominik Čipera, who also became the mayor. The Baťa company and also the city of Zlín continued growing. In 1929–1935, a strong economic agglomeration Zlín – Otrokovice – Napajedla developed. In 1935, the city became the seat of the administrative district.
During ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, life in the city was controlled by German occupiers, and development of both the city and the company stopped. Zlín was most severely affected by the war in 1944, when it was bombed by the U.S. army and large parts of the factories were destroyed. Zlín was liberated by the Soviet and Romanian armies on 2 May 1945.[
The communists took over management of Zlín and Baťa factories, and in October 1945 the Bata company in Czechoslovakia was nationalised. In the following decades, Zlín preserved its significant position thanks to its extensive industrial production. The city strengthened its position as administrative, economic, educational and cultural centre of eastern Moravia. Zlín further expanded with construction of new housing estates.][
]
Demographics
Economy
The largest industrial employer with headquarters in Zlín is TAJMAC-ZPS, a manufacturer of machine tools with more than 500 employees. Bata Corporation
The Bata Corporation (known as Bata, and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, known as Baťa, ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational footwear, apparel and fashion accessories manufacturer and retailer of Moravian (Czech) origin, headquar ...
(in the Czech Republic officially known as Baťa a.s.) is now primarily a trading company and shoe production takes place outside the city.
Zlín is home to many large companies and organizations of the service sector. The largest employer in the city is the Regional Hospital of T. Baťa with more than 3,000 employees. Other notable employers are HP Tronic (main activity is trade in consumer electronics under the Datart and Eta brands), Tomas Bata University in Zlín (education) and Tescoma (trade and manufacture of kitchen utensils).[
The Zlín agglomeration was defined as a tool for drawing money from the ]European Structural and Investment Funds
The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds, ESIFs) are financial tools governed by a common rulebook, set up to implement the regional policy of the European Union, as well as the structural policy pillars of the Common Agricultu ...
. It is an area that includes the city and its surroundings, linked to the city by commuting and migration. It has about 130,000 inhabitants.
Transport
In the 1920s local passenger transportation started to operate. Later, in 1939 the town council decided to build three trolleybus routes, numbered lines A, B and C. New trolleybus lines were finished in 1944, after the construction proceeding during the Nazi occupation. Through the times, Zlín's public transport, now owned by DSZO (Zlín & Otrokovice Transportation Company), was one of the fastest-growing public transportation networks in the Czech Republic.
The city is currently served by 14 bus routes and 14 trolleybus routes, and also railway services on line 331, which runs from Otrokovice (located on the international corridor) to Vizovice. There are nine stations on this line within the city of Zlín, the largest of which is ''Zlín střed''.
Education
In 1969, the Faculty of Technology was founded here as a branch of the Brno University of Technology. In 2001, it was one of two faculties which formed the newly established Tomas Bata University in Zlín. With more than 9,000 students, it ranks as a medium-sized Czech university. It is formed by six faculties: Technology, Management and Economics, Multimedia Communications, Applied Informatics, Humanities, and Logistics and Crisis Management.
Culture
Zlín is located in the cultural region of Moravian Wallachia near the tripoint
A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...
of the cultural regions of Moravian Wallachia, Moravian Slovakia and Hanakia.
Given Zlín's history as one of the biggest centres of filmmaking in the Czech Republic, probably the biggest cultural event is the Zlín Film Festival with subtitle "International Film Festival for Children and Youth".
Winter version of international music festival Masters of Rock takes place in Zlín.
Zlín is home to the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra; its chief conductor is Tomáš Brauner, while its principal guest conductor is Leoš Svárovský.
Sport
Zlín's ice hockey team PSG Berani Zlín plays in the 1st Czech League (2nd tier) and has won national titles in 2004 and in 2014. The association football team FC Zlín plays in the Czech National Football League (2nd tier), but played in the top tier in 2015–2024. The city also has teams in other sports including volleyball, basketball, Czech handball, softball and rugby.
Architecture
The city's architectural development was a characteristic synthesis of two modernist urban utopian visions: the first inspired by Ebenezer Howard's Garden city movement
The garden city movement was a 20th century urban planning movement promoting satellite communities surrounding the central city and separated with Green belt, greenbelts. These Garden Cities would contain proportionate areas of residences, i ...
and the second tracing its lineage to Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...
's vision of urban modernity. From the very beginning Baťa pursued the goal of constructing the Garden City proposed by Ebenezer Howard. However, the shape of the city had to be 'modernized' so as to suit the needs of the company and of the expanding community. The urban plan of Zlín was the creation of František Lydie Gahura, a student at Le Corbusier's atelier in Paris.
Sights
The Villa of Tomáš Baťa was an early architectural achievement. The construction was completed in 1911. The building's design was carried out by the architect Jan Kotěra. After its confiscation in 1946, the building served as a Pionýr' house. Being returned to Tomáš J. Baťa, the son of the company's founder, the building now houses the headquarters of the Thomas Bata Foundation.
Baťa's Hospital was founded in 1927 and quickly developed into one of the most modern hospitals in Central Europe. The original architectural set up was designed by F. L. Gahura.
The Grand Cinema was designed by the architect F. L. Gahura and built in 1932. This technological marvel became the largest cinema in Central Europe in its time with a capacity of 2,270 seated viewers. Today it has 1,010 seats.
Tomas Bata Memorial was built in 1933 by F. L. Gahura. The original purpose of the building was to commemorate the achievements of Baťa. The building itself is a Constructivist masterpiece. It has served as the seat of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra since 1955.
Baťa's Skyscraper was built as the headquarters for the worldwide Baťa organization. Designed by Vladimír Karfík, the huge building was erected in 1936–1939. It included a room-sized elevator housing the office for the boss, comfortably furnished – with a sink, a telephone, and air conditioning. When it was built it was the tallest Czechoslovak building at . After a costly reconstruction in 2004, it became the seat of the Regional Office of the Zlín Region and the headquarters of the tax office.
In the village of Štípa, there is Lešná Castle. It was built in the Neogothic, Neorenaissance and Neobaroque styles in 1887–1893. It is one of the youngest aristocratic residences in 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 ...
. The castle was built for the Seilern-Aspang family on the site of an older castle from the 18th century. Today the castle is open to the public and there are collections of unique and historically valuable objects. The castle is located inside the Zlín-Lešná Zoo complex. It is the second most-visited zoo in the country, and as of 2022, it was overall the third most visited tourist destination in the country.
Malenovice Castle is located in Malenovice. It was founded in the second half of the 14th century. The Gothic castle was modified in the Renaissance style in the following centuries. Today part of the castle is open to the public and contains several expositions.
Notable people
* Tomáš Baťa (1876–1932), industrialist, founder of Bata Corporation
The Bata Corporation (known as Bata, and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, known as Baťa, ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational footwear, apparel and fashion accessories manufacturer and retailer of Moravian (Czech) origin, headquar ...
* Miloslav Petrusek (1936–2012), sociologist
* John Tusa (born 1936), British arts administrator, and radio and television journalist
* Tom Stoppard (born 1937), British playwright and screenwriter
* Josef Abrhám (1939–2022), actor
*Eva Jiřičná
Eva Jiřičná (born 3 March 1939) is a Czech architect and designer, active in London and Prague. She is the founder of the architectural atelier ''Eva Jiricna Architects'', operating in Britain (at first as ''Jiřičná Kerr Associates'') from ...
(born 1939), architect
* Ivana Trump (1949–2022), Czech-American businesswoman and model
* Vladimír Hučín (born 1952), dissident and political celebrity
* Stanislava Nopová (born 1953), author, poet and publisher
* Bohumil Brhel (born 1965), speedway rider
* Roman Čechmánek (1971–2023), ice hockey player
* Tomáš Dvořák (born 1972), decathlete, Olympic medalist
* Daniel Málek (born 1973), breaststroke swimmer
* Roman Hamrlík (born 1974), ice hockey player
* Petr Čajánek (born 1975), ice hockey player
* Mojmír Hampl (born 1975), economist
* Petr Janda (born 1975), architect
* Jiří Novák (born 1975), tennis player
* Silvia Saint (born 1976), pornographic film actress
* Jan Zakopal (born 1977), footballer
* Karel Rachůnek (1979–2011), ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
Zlín is twinned with:
* Altenburg
Altenburg () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located south of Leipzig, west of Dresden and east of Erfurt. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district and part of a polycentric old-industrial textile and metal production region betw ...
, Germany
* Chorzów, Poland
* Groningen
Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
, Netherlands
* Izegem, Belgium
* Limbach-Oberfrohna, Germany
* Möhlin, Switzerland
* Romans-sur-Isère
Romans-sur-Isère (; ; Old Occitan: ''Romans'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Geography
Romans-sur-Isère is located on the Isère (river), Isère, northeast of Valence, ...
, France
* Sesto San Giovanni, Italy
* Trenčín
Trenčín (, also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a List of towns in Slovakia, city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech Republic, Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a populati ...
, Slovakia
Zlín also cooperates with Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, Italy.[
]
Gallery
Zlín - J.A. Bati - View WSW on Baťův mrakodrap - Baťa's Skyscraper 1936-38 by Slovak Architect Vladimír Karfík.jpg, Baťa's Skyscraper
Památník Tomáše Bati.jpg, Tomas Bata Memorial
Zlín, park Komenského (7).jpg, Komenského Park
Zlín, park Komenského (1).jpg, Komenského Park
Zlin congress center 02.jpg, Congress Centre Zlín
Zlín, Prior (1).jpg, Prior Zlín, a department store
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
Municipal Information and Tourist Centre of Zlín
History of Zlín, old photos and postcards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zlin
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Zlín District
Planned communities
Bata Corporation
Architecture related to utopias