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Velké Meziříčí

Coordinates: 49°21′19″N 16°0′44″E / 49.35528°N 16.01222°E / 49.35528; 16.01222
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Velké Meziříčí
Town
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Interactive map of Velké Meziříčí
Coordinates: 49°21′19″N 16°0′44″E / 49.35528°N 16.01222°E / 49.35528; 16.01222
CountryFile:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
RegionVysočina
DistrictŽďár nad Sázavou
First mentioned1281
Government
 • MayorAlexandros Kaminaras
Area
 • Total
40.66 km2 (15.70 sq mi)
Elevation
425 m (1,394 ft)
Population
 (2026-01-01)[1]
 • Total
11,709
 • Density288.0/km2 (745.8/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
594 01
Websitewww.velkemezirici.cz

Velké Meziříčí (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvɛlkɛː ˈmɛzɪr̝iːtʃiː]; German: Groß Meseritsch) is a town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. The town is located in the Křižanov Highlands, at the confluence of the rivers Oslava and Balinka.

Velké Meziříčí was founded in the 12th century. The main landmark of the town is the Velké Meziříčí Castle. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Administrative division

Velké Meziříčí consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]

  • Velké Meziříčí (9,841)
  • Dolní Radslavice (89)
  • Hrbov (165)
  • Kúsky (83)
  • Lhotky (271)
  • Mostiště (572)
  • Olší nad Oslavou (272)
  • Svařenov (116)

Etymology

The name Meziříčí literally means 'between the rivers' in Czech and is related to its location at the confluence of two rivers. The prefix Velké (i.e. 'great') was added later to distinguish from places with the same name.[3]

Geography

Velké Meziříčí is located about 23 kilometres (14 mi) south of Žďár nad Sázavou and 30 km (19 mi) east of Jihlava. It is situated in a valley framed by the hills of the Křižanov Highlands. It lies at the confluence of the Oslava and Balinka rivers. A system of fishponds is located on the stream Lovíčský potok, which flows into the Balinka in the town. Part of Mostiště Reservoir is located in the municipal territory.

History

The settlement of Meziříčí was founded during the colonisation of the Oslava valley in the 12th century. The first written credible mention of Meziříčí is from 1281. A counterfeit medieval document mentions the existence of Meziříčí in 1236 and even though it is a counterfeit, the foundation of the castle above Meziříčí is estimated actually around 1236, making it one of the oldest aristocratic castles in Moravia. The palisade and then the stone walls were built in the 14th century. The Church of Saint Nicholas was first mentioned in 1317. The village was located on crossroads of two trade routes and developed into a town.[3]

After helping their lord to reclaim his castle from his enemies, the settlement was rewarded with full town privileges in 1408. During the Hussite Wars, Meziříčí was a military base of the Hussites. Around 1434, the castle fortifications were improved. In 1464, the castle was conquered by King George of Poděbrady, and in 1468, the town was ransacked by the army of Matthias Corvinus.[4]

Meziříčí experienced the greatest boom during the Renaissance period. The first Jews came into the town in the late 15th century and the Jewish community was established in the 17th century. The prosperity of the town was interrupted by the Thirty Years' War, during which the town was burned down several times. In the 18th century, the town prospered again.[5]

In the 19th century, first factories were built, and the development of the town's industry was also helped by the construction of the railway.[5] In September 1909 a Imperial Maneuvers of the Austro-Hungarian Army, annual and largest military exercise (about 120,000 troops involved) in the empire was held near the town, visited by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I and also German ruler Wilhelm II.[6]

Demographics

Economy

The largest industriual employers based in the town are Prysmian Kabely (manufacturer of cables and electric wires, part of Prysmian Group) and POEX Velké Meziříčí (food industry), both with more than 250 employees.[9]

Transport

The D1 motorway from Prague to Brno runs through the town. The 425 metres (1,394 ft) long and 77 metres (253 ft) high Vysočina Bridge spans the built-up area.[10]

Velké Meziříčí lies on the Křižanov–Studenec railway line of local importance.[11]

Sights

The main landmark of the town is the Velké Meziříčí Castle. The original Romanesque-Gothic castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 16th century and after a fire in 1723, Baroque reconstruction was made. Today it houses the Velké Meziříčí Museum. The museum was founded in 1893 and includes historical and scientific collections, a collection of cubist furniture, and an exhibition on the construction of roads and bridges.[10]

The historic centre was delimited by town walls and both rivers. Part of the town walls with a gate are preserved. The main landmark of the square is the Church of Saint Nicholas. This Gothic building comes probably from the 12th or 13th century and has a 64 metres (210 ft) high tower open to the public. The square is lined with valuable burgher houses; the most significant buildings are the town hall from the 15th century, and a house called Obecník with rich sgraffito decoration.[10]

Several important monuments remained after the Jewish community. The Old Synagogue was built in 1695 and has a Baroque-Neoclassical portal of the main entrance from the late 18th century. The New Synagogue is from 1870 and is known for its characteristic appearance of unplastered red and black bricks. The Jewish cemetery with 1,101 tombstones comes from the mid-17th century. The oldest preserved tombstone is from 1677. The nearby ceremonial hall is from 1880.[12]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Velké Meziříčí is twinned with:[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Population in municipalities as at 1. 1". DataStat. Czech Statistical Office. 2026-05-18.
  2. ↑ "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "První zmínky o městě" (in čeština). Město Velké Meziříčí. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  4. ↑ "14. a 15. století" (in čeština). Město Velké Meziříčí. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Historie" (in čeština). Město Velké Meziříčí. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  6. ↑ "1909: Das Kaisermanöver im Taubertal". Schreibdasauf.info (in Deutsch). GeneratePress. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  8. ↑ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  9. ↑ "Registr ekonomických subjektů". Business Register (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Významné objekty" (in čeština). Město Velké Meziříčí. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  11. ↑ "Station details Velké Meziříčí". České dráhy. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  12. ↑ "Židovské památky ve Velkém Meziříčí" (in čeština). Czech Tourism. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  13. ↑ "Partnerská města" (in čeština). Město Velké Meziříčí. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
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