Havířov

Havířov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɦaviːr̝of] (listen); Polish: Hawierzów, Cieszyn Silesian: Hawiyrzów) is a city in the Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 71,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the region. Havířov lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.

Havířov

Hawiyrzów
Hawierzów
Statutory City
Part of town square
Flag
Coat of arms
Havířov
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°46′59″N 18°25′22″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionMoravian-Silesian
DistrictKarviná
Founded1955
City parts
Government
 • MayorJosef Bělica[1] (ANO)
Area
 • Total32.07 km2 (12.38 sq mi)
Elevation
260 m (850 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[2])
 • Total71,200
 • Density2,200/km2 (5,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
736 01
Websitewww.havirov-city.cz

Havířov was founded after World War II (thus being the youngest city in today's Czech Republic) as a coal mining town. Havířov officially became a town in 1955. It was built on top of several villages with significant Polish populations. The local people were given apartments in the newly built city, and most of their old houses were demolished to make room for new urban buildings. The majority of the population of Havířov emigrated from other parts of Czechoslovakia, many of them from Slovakia, as migrant workers, thus substantially altering the ethnic structure of the area. Today, the original villages are administratively part of the city and mostly lie on the outskirts of urban Havířov.

Name

In a competition to name the city in 1956, various names were suggested, such as Stalin, Gottwaldův Horníkov (after Klement Gottwald), Zápotockýgrad (after Antonín Zápotocký) and "Čestprácov" (derived from the Socialist-era greeting čest práci). Eventually it was decided that the city should be named Havířov, from havíř, "miner", and the possessive suffix -ov.[3]

History
Havířov railway station

Havířov was founded after the Second World War. Most of the buildings of the new city were built in the style of Socialist Realism.

Sport

Football

The city's football club, MFK Havířov, competes in the Czech Fourth Division. In the past, the team appeared for several seasons in Czech 2. Liga. Football club MFK Havířov was founded in 1922. MFK Havířov entered into a contract with sports brand JOMA for four years. MFK Havířov has two pitches and one artificial pitch. They have nickname which is "indians" according to American bikers. Their matches are played on pitches in Prostřední Suchá.[4]

Ice hockey

The ice hockey club AZ Havířov appears in the First National Hockey League, the second-tier league of ice hockey in the country.

Rugby

RC Havířov competes in the highest division of rugby in the Czech Republic, the KB Extraliga.

Cycling

Havířov hosted the prologue and the third stage, both an individual time trial, of the 2012 and 2013 Gracia-Orlová.

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Havířov is twinned with:[5]

References
  1. "List of Members of City Council".
  2. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  3. "Havířov má šedesát let. Mohl to být také Gottwaldův Horníkov". Česká televize. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  4. "MFK Havířov - history".
  5. "Partnerská města - Statutární město Havířov" (in Czech). Statutární město Havířov. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
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