Kladno

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For other places with the same name, see Kladno (disambiguation).

Kladno
Statutory city
Kladno City Hall
Kladno City Hall
Flag of Kladno
Flag
Coat of arms of Kladno
Coat of arms
Kladno is located in Czech Republic
Kladno
Kladno
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°9′N 14°6′E / 50.150°N 14.100°E / 50.150; 14.100Coordinates: 50°9′N 14°6′E / 50.150°N 14.100°E / 50.150; 14.100
Country Czech Republic
RegionCentral Bohemian
DistrictKladno
First mentioned1318
Government
 • MayorMilan Volf (Volba pro Kladno [cs])
Area
 • Total36.97 km2 (14.27 sq mi)
Elevation
381 m (1,250 ft)
Population
 (2021-01-01)[1]
 • Total68,896
 • Density1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
272 01
Websitewww.mestokladno.cz

Kladno (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkladno]; German: Kladen) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 69,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the region and together with its adjacent suburban areas has a population of more than 110,000. It is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) northwest of the capital city Prague and is a part of the Prague metropolitan area.

Administrative parts[edit]

The city is made up of six administrative parts: Kladno, Dubí, Kročehlavy, Rozdělov, Švermov and Vrapice.

History[edit]

Kladno Castle
Chapel of Saint Florian in the pedestrian zone

The first written mention of Kladno is from 1318 as a property of noble family of Kladenští of Kladno.[2] After 1543, when Kladenští of Kladno died out, it became a property of Žďárští of Žďár. In 1561 the town rights were secured.[3]

In 1566, Žďárští of Žďár rebuilt the local fort to a Renaissance castle. The town walls was built in following decades. The city prospered until Battle of White Mountain in 1620, when it was looted by Polish Cossacks.[2]

In 18th century the town began to grow behind its walls. In 19th century, the town developed into a significant agricultural and industrial centre. Around 1850, the first coal mines in the area were opened, and the coal was mined until the end of the 20th century. In 1898, Kladno became a city.[2]

As a part of the Czech kingdom, the city was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austrian side after the compromise of 1867) for several centuries before 1918, head of the Kladno district, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[4] A post-office was opened in 1863.[5]

The city's prosperity was once again interrupted by World War II, when it was ruled by the Nazis. In 1941, surrounding municipalities (Kročehlavy, Rozdělov, Dubí, Dříň and Újezd) were joined to Kladno. Vrapice was joined in 1950 and Švermov in 1980.[2]

Housing estates in Rozdělov, built in 1950s

The post-war history of Kladno was influenced by the philosophy of the communist regime. The city's development was determined by migration of labor forces unrelated to the city, by the construction of unified large housing estates and by an effort to erase the original buildings of the city centre. On August 21, 1968, Kladno was occupied for the second time in thirty years, this time by the Soviet Army.[3]

Demography[edit]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
186916,421—    
188023,863+45.3%
189032,079+34.4%
190042,521+32.6%
191049,668+16.8%
YearPop.±%
192148,941−1.5%
193051,249+4.7%
195050,470−1.5%
196155,919+10.8%
197063,076+12.8%
YearPop.±%
198071,141+12.8%
199171,753+0.9%
200171,132−0.9%
201168,103−4.3%
202168,896+1.2%
Source: Historical lexicon of municipalities of the Czech Republic[6]

Economy[edit]

Kladno was the historical birthplace of heavy industry in Bohemia. For years, the city was home to the Poldi steel factory, the region's largest employer. The factory still stands but has been divided into smaller entities after privatisation and changes in ownership. The mining industry began here in 1842. The proximity to Prague helped to keep the local economy stable in spite of the heavy industrial decline after the collapse of the communist regime. A series of Western European companies has established production in Kladno, including Lego, Dr. Oetker, NKT Cables and Quickstep Laminate Floors.

Sport[edit]

The city is mainly known for its ice hockey club Rytíři Kladno, which was successful in the past and is connected with many famous players of Czech ice hockey history, including Olympic gold medalists Jaromír Jágr, Pavel Patera, Martin Procházka, Libor Procházka and Milan Hnilička. Nowadays the club fluctuates between the first and second tiers of the Czech ice hockey system.

The local football club SK Kladno played in the Czech First League in 2006–2010, but since 2013 it plays in the fourth tier.

Notable people[edit]

See also: Category:People from Kladno

Twin towns – sister cities[edit]

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

Kladno is twinned with:[7]

Kladno also cooperates with Aachen in Germany.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2021". Czech Statistical Office. 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Historie města Kladno". kladnozive.cz (in Czech). Kladno Živě. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Historie Kladna". mestokladno.cz (in Czech). Statutární město Kladno. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  4. ^ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
  5. ^ Handbook of Austria and Lombardy-Venetia Cancellations on the Postage Stamp Issues 1850-1864, by Edwin Mueller, 1961
  6. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Kladno" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 21 December 2015. pp. 3–4.
  7. ^ a b "Partnerská města Kladna". mestokladno.cz (in Czech). Statutární město Kladno. Retrieved 11 May 2021.

External links[edit]

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