Mohelnice

Mohelnice (; ) is a town in Šumperk District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,800 inhabitants. The town is located in a predominantly agricultural landscape near the Morava River.

Mohelnice is an industrial town, but the historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. The town is known for a festival of folk and country music, since 2020 known as Mohelnický FolkFest.

Administrative division

Mohelnice consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):

Mohelnice (7,717)
Křemačov (157)
Květín (134)
Libivá (212)
Podolí (390)
Řepová (154)
Studená Loučka (176)
Újezd (201)

Studená Loučka forms an exclave of the municipal territory.

Geography

Mohelnice is located about south of Šumperk and northwest of Olomouc, in the fertile Haná region. The eastern part of the municipal territory with the town proper lies in a flat agricultural landscape in the Mohelnice Depression, while the western part lies in the Zábřeh Highlands. The highest point is the hill Hekelův kopec at above sea level.

The Mírovka Stream flows through the town into the Morava River, which forms the eastern municipal border. In the eastern part of Mohelnice are located two artificial lakes created by flooding sandstone quarries, Mohelnické jezero and Moravičanské jezero. The easternmost part of Mohelnice with Moravičanské jezero is situated in the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area.

History

thumb|Bishop's Castle

The first written mention of Mohelnice is in a deed of bishop Jindřich Zdík from 1141, when it was owned by the Olomouc bishopric. In 1273, Mohelnice was first referred to as a town.

In 1307 and 1312, the town was devastated by plague. In 1424, it was conquered by the Hussites and 700 people died. During the first half of the 16th century, the town was rebuilt and the town fortifications were built. The Thirty Years' War devastated Mohelnice – in 1623 it was plundered by the Swedish troops and over 30% of the inhabitants died of the plague. The Swedes looted the town again in 1642, 1643, 1644 and 1647. Half of the town was destroyed by fire in 1662. The year 1685 saw the notorious Northern Moravia witch trials during which a local vicar Alois Lautner was burned at the stake.

Economy

Mohelnice is predominantly industrial town with significant electrotechnical, engineering and construction industries. There is an industrial zone on the eastern outskirts of the town. The largest employer based in the town is Hella Autotechnik Nova, manufacturer of lighting for the automotive industry. With more than 3,000 employees, it is the largest industrial company in the Olomouc Region. The second most notable company in the town is Montix (manufacturer of plastic parts, especially for the automotive industry).

Transport

The I/35 road (part of the European route E442) runs through the town. It replaces the unfinished section of the D35 motorway from Olomouc to the Hradec Králové Region. The I/44 road splits from it and connects Mohelnice with Šumperk and Jeseník.

Mohelnice is located on the railway lines Prague–Olomouc (further continuing to Vsetín or Staré Město) and Nezamyslice–Kouty nad Desnou.

Culture

From 1975, Mohelnice was known for the folk and country music festival Mohelnický dostavník. The tradition ended in 2020, however, it has since been replaced by the Mohelnický FolkFest festival with the same focus.

Sights

thumb|160px|Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury

The historic centre consists of the historic floor plan of the town with a central square and annular streets. The square Náměstí Svobody is partially lined by two-storey burgher houses. Remains of the walls and the northern entrance gate from 1540 have been preserved from the town fortifications.

The second important area is the square Kostelní náměstí with the Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury. The original church on this site was first mentioned in 1247. This church was expanded in the 14th century, and rebuilt in the 15th century after it was burned down. Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque style intertwines in its construction. The last modifications were in the Neo-Gothic style. The parish church has a rich Baroque interior decoration. The church tower is the main landmark of the town.

The Church of Saint Stanislaus was built in 1584. It was reconstructed in the Baroque style in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Bishop's Castle on the Kostelní náměstí is one of the oldest preserved buildings in whole region. It was built in the 13th century at the latest. Today it houses a regional museum.

Notable people

Antonín Brus of Mohelnice (1518–1580), Archbishop of Prague
Antal Stašek (1843–1931), writer; worked here in 1913–1914
Edmund Reitter (1845–1920), Austrian entomologist, writer and collector
Karl Penka (1847–1912), Austrian philologist and anthropologist
Max Bernhauer (1866–1946), Austrian entomologist
Richard Schmitz (1885–1954), mayor of Vienna in 1934–1938
Martin Horák (born 1980), footballer