Velké Kunětice Explained

Velké Kunětice
Settlement Type:Municipality
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Olomouc
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Jeseník
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.3167°N 17.2661°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1284
Area Total Km2:9.83
Elevation M:340
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:528
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:790 52

Velké Kunětice (German: Groß Kunzendorf) is a municipality and village in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.

Geography

Velké Kunětice is located about 10km (10miles) northeast of Jeseník and 80km (50miles) north of Olomouc, on the border with Poland. It lies in the Zlatohorská Highlands. The highest point is the hill Kamenný vrch at 459m (1,506feet) above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Velké Kunětice is from 1284, when it was owned by the Bishopric in Wrocław. At the end of the 15th century, there were limestone quarries and iron ore was probably mined in the area.[2]

From 1938 to 1945 it was occupied by Germany. During World War II, the Germans operated the E114 forced labour subcamp of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp at the local stone quarry and factory.[3]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality. On the Czech-Polish border is the road border crossing Velké Kunětice / Sławniowice.

Sights

The main landmark of Velké Kunětice is the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. It was rebuilt many times, but it has a preserved medieval core. Around the church are fortifications from the 16th century.[4] [5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: O obci. Obec Velké Kunětice. cs. 2022-01-28.
  3. Web site: Working Parties. lamsdorf.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20201029103834/https://www.lamsdorf.com/working-parties.html. 2021-11-13. 2020-10-29.
  4. Web site: Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné s ohradní zdí a bránou. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2024-01-30.
  5. Web site: Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné ve Velkých Kuněticích je možná mnohem starší, než se zdá. Czech Radio. cs. 2022-04-22. 2024-01-30.