Krnov


Krnov is an Upper Silesian town in the northeastern Czech Republic, in the Moravian-Silesian Region, the District of Bruntál. It lies at the confluence of the rivers Opava and Opavice, near the Polish border.

History

The area has been inhabited almost without interruption since the stone age. Its history stretches back to the 13th century when Krnov acquired town rights. The town was founded in 1221 and served as the capital of an independent duchy from 1377 to 1523. From 1938 to 1945 it was one of the municipalities in Sudetenland.
According to the Austrian census of 1910, the town had 16,681 inhabitants, 15,647 of whom had permanent residence there. The census had asked people for their native language; 15,390 were German-speaking and 247 were Czech-speaking. Jews were not allowed to declare Yiddish, thus most of them declared German as their native language. The most populous religious groups were Roman Catholics with 15,290, followed by Protestants with 885 and the Jews with 459. After World War II the German population was expelled in 1945-46, completely altering the traditional language and culture of the town and its region.

Economy

Krnov is industrial center of the Upper-Silesian region. A factory producing the cola-based drink Kofola is located in the town. Another one of the largest local companies is the company Rieger–Kloss which manufactures pipe organs. Notable is also
textile industry.
Tourism is significant for Krnov. The town is a summer resort and a winter sport area with close access to the Jeseníky Mountains, the second-highest mountain range in the country.

Sights

Krnov has an 18th-century castle, several churches and abbeys as well as a lookout tower from 1903. The Krnov Synagogue is one of the few large synagogues to have survived the Nazi occupation of Europe.

Transportation

Krnov has two railway stations, a central station and a rail station called Cvilín.

Gallery

Notable people

Twin towns — Sister cities

Krnov is twinned with: