Uherský Brod

Uherský Brod (Czech pronunciation: [ˈuɦɛrskiː ˈbrot]; German: Ungarisch Brod) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated in the south-east of Moravia (Czech: Morava). It lies in the Vizovice Highlands (Vizovická vrchovina) and near the White Carpathian Mountains (Bílé Karpaty).

Other important towns and villages in the region of Uherský Brod:

• Bánov
• Bojkovice
• Nivnice - One of the three possible birthplaces of Jan Amos Komenský (Comenius).
• Komňa - Also a possible birthplace of Jan Amos Komenský (Comenius). Komenský bears his name after "Komňa".
• Vlčnov

History

The history of Uherský Brod (a name which can be loosely translated as the 'Hungarian ford' or 'river crossing to Hungary') can be traced back to the 10th century. In 1272 it had become sufficiently important that, Premysl Otakar II granted it the status of a King's town.

The 16th century was the all too short golden age of the town, which flourished under the lordship of John of Kunovice (Czech: Jan z Kunovic). The townhall and lords' house were built during this time. The good times came to an end at the beginning of the 17th century when the Hungarians started to attack it in a series of invasions.

Later, the German and Jewish communities began to grow and in the 19th century the town was transformed by industrial development, but has managed to retain its character and charm.

World War II brought further invasion and the development of military industries - Česká Zbrojovka, a precision firearms manufacturer, plays a leading role in the region's industry. It also led to the loss of the town's important Jewish community, the striking reminder of which is the highly evocative Jewish cemetery.

Notable sites

More recently the town has begun seeing a much more welcome group of invaders - tourists. With the White Carpathian national park and the trans-Carpathian cycle routes nearby, many tourists choose to spend a day or two relaxing in a picturesque and friendly town.

There is also a local brewery, Janáček, that supplies mainly in the region. The name is often confused with Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer. However, the two have little in common.

On the hill above the town is the Observatory. Dating from 1961, this impressive site is the creation of the townspeople, having been funded and built entirely by the town's residents. Today [2009] the observatory has plans for a large planetarium to help it with its educational message.

Comenius

Uherský Brod is a possible birthplace of Jan Amos Komenský (Latinised: Comenius). However, most likely it is just a place where he spent a part of his life.

There is a large and impressive museum and a secondary grammar school that bear his name.

The personality of Comenius was the grounds for the twinning of Uherský Brod and Naarden, the Netherlands, where Comenius is buried.

External links

• Uherský Brod Official Site (Czech)
• Astronomical Observatory (Czech)
• Secondary Grammar School of J.A. Comenius (Czech)