Šumperk (; ) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The town is located in the Hanušovice Highlands on the stream Bratrušovský potok.

Šumperk is an industrial town, but it also contains valuable historical and architectural monuments. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Etymology

The original German name is derived from Schön Berg, meaning "beautiful hill", which later supplemented by a distinguishing adjective Mährisch (i.e. Moravian). The Czech name Šumperk evolved from a direct phonetic transcription.

After World War II and the expulsion of Germans, there was a suggestion of giving the town a name with Czech origins. Suggestions included approximate translations such as Krásná Hora, Krásov or Krásno nad Děsnou, and names unrelated to the original name, such as Svobodov, Velenov, Lnářov and Přadlenov. In the end the name of Šumperk remained unchanged.

Geography

Šumperk is located about north of Olomouc. It lies entirely in the Hanušovice Highlands, but for its proximity to the Hrubý Jeseník mountains, the town is sometimes nicknamed "The Gate to Jeseník." The highest point of the municipal territory is the hill Ohařův kámen with at above sea level.

Šumperk is located on the stream Bratrušovský potok. It is a tributary of the Desná River, which forms the southern municipal border.

History

thumb|Šumperk Castle, today a secondary school

13th–16th centuries

Šumperk was probably established by German settlers from Silesia in the second half of the 13th century. The town rapidly became prosperous due to rich deposits of precious metals. Šumperk belonged to the Margrave of Moravia. The first written mention of Šumperk is from 1281. This document refers to Jeneč of Šumperk, a town administrator who lived in a small fort on the outskirts. The fort has not been preserved. A Dominican monastery was founded in 1297.

20th century

thumb|Czechoslovak soldiers occupy Šumperk in December 1918, photo taken the front of town hall

thumb|180px|Sudeten German removes Czech name in 1938

Sudeten Germans on the Imperial Austro-Hungarian Council declared sovereignty for German-inhabited Moravia, including Šumperk, under the name Sudetenland of the Republic of German-Austria. Czechs did not accept the division and, following the idea of the Bohemian state rights, declared that all of Bohemia and Moravia be included the establishing Czechoslovak state.

One of the German rebels was the mayor of Šumperk, Gustav Oberleithner, who became vice-prime minister. On 7 November, Czech envoys demanded surrender of Šumperk's German self-government. Establishing facts on the grounds, Czechoslovak troops invaded the German-speaking areas. On 15 December 1918, Šumperk surrendered at the threat of shots to be fired to the town.

After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Šumperk was occupied by the Wehrmacht, and was attached to Nazi Germany as part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. The last Czech families moved inland. The occupation and the World War II halted the economic prosperity and brought great casualties.

Economy

thumb|Pramet factory

Šumperk was a significant centre of the textile industry throughout the Austria-Hungary, interwar and Communist eras. Thanks to factories focusing on the production of natural and synthetic silk, Šumperk has become a European centre of silk industry. Communist rule nationalised every company in Šumperk and united them into a large national company named Hedva. The silk production in Hedva ended in 1998 and only thread production continued. However, in 2019, this production ended as well and that meant the end of textile industry tradition in the town.

Today, Šumperk is still an industrial town, even though the focus has changed. The largest industrial employer is TDK Electronics, which produces ferrites for automotive purposes. The beginnings of production in Šumperk date back to 1956, when the ferrites were produced under Pramet brand. The second largest industrial company is Dormer Pramet, a manufacturer and supplier of cutting tools. It is a successor of the Pramet company, which was founded here in 1951.

A significant company is also Škoda Pars which renovates old trains and trams; its best known product is the RegioNova train.

The largest non-industrial employer is the Šumperk hospital.

Transport

Šumperk is the terminus and start of the railway lines from/to Olomouc, further continuing to Brno or Vyškov.

Culture

thumb|North Moravian Theatre

Cultural institutions located in Šumperk include a cinema, the North Moravian Theatre, or a regional museum. The main cultural facilities are the Šumperk Cultural Hall and the town's library.

Several festivals take place annually in the town:

  • Blues Alive is the biggest international blues festival in Central Europe. It was established in 1996.
  • Slavnosti města Šumperka ("Festival of the town of Šumperk") is a festival with a historical theme, a tradition since 1998.
  • Město čte knihu ("The town reads a book") is a literary and film festival, which has been held annually since 2005. The purpose of the festival is to read a selected book by a selected author.
  • Klášterní hudební slavnosti ("Monastery music festivities") is a series of classical music concerts during the summer. The festival was established in 2007.
  • Divadlo v parku ("Theatre in park") is a theatre festival. The festival, organized by the local theatre, hosts professional ensembles from other towns and cities.
  • International Folklore Festival is a parade of folk ensembles from all over the world that takes place every year in several places in the town.

Sport

The town's ice hockey club Draci Šumperk plays in the third tier of the Czech ice hockey system, being relegated in the 2022/2023 season.

FK Šumperk is the town's football club, playing in the fourth tier of the Czech football system.

Sights

thumb|Town hall

In the second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, many architectural gems were created in the town, first especially in the Neoclassical and Neo-Renaissance styles, later in the Functionalist style. Notable is the town hall which is a landmark of the town centre. It was built in the Saxon Neo-Renaissance style in 1909–1911, and replaced an old Gothic town hall first mentioned in 1475.

Geschader's House, today known as House of the European Meeting, is one of the oldest houses in Šumperk. In its Gothic cellar is a permanent exhibition on the witch trials in the region.

Other sights in Šumperk include Church of Saint John the Baptist, Church of Saint Barbara, and fragments of the town walls.

  • Bad Hersfeld, Germany
  • Ebreichsdorf, Austria
  • Maarssen, Netherlands
  • Mikulov, Czech Republic
  • Nysa, Poland
  • Prievidza, Slovakia
  • Sulmona, Italy
  • Vaasa, Finland

<gallery>

Šumperk - Hlavní třída.jpg|Part of Hlavní třída Street

Mährisch Schönberg - Hlavní třída.JPG|Part of Hlavní třída Street

Šumperk-kostel-Zvěstování-P-Marie2012a.jpg|Former Church of the Annunciation

Sumpurk-Kino-Svet-1.jpg|Former Svět Cinema

Pošta Šumperk.JPG|Functionalist post office

Šumperská architektura.JPG|Functionalist resident and commercial house

</gallery>

References

  • Information Centre of Šumperk
  • Culture, news and information from the region Šumperk