Šumperk

Šumperk (ˈʃumpɛrk; Mährisch Schönberg) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. It is an industrial town, but it also contains valuable historical and architectural monuments. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Šumperk is made up of one administrative part. The original German name is derived from Schön Berg, meaning "beautiful hill", which later supplemented by a distinguishing adjective Mährisch (i.e. Moravian). The Czech name Šumperk evolved from a direct phonetic transcription. After World War II and the expulsion of Germans, there was a suggestion of giving the town a name with Czech origins. Suggestions included approximate translations such as Krásná Hora, Krásov or Krásno nad Děsnou, and names unrelated to the original name, such as Svobodov, Velenov, Lnářov and Přadlenov. In the end the name of Šumperk remained unchanged. Šumperk is located about north of Olomouc. It lies entirely in the Hanušovice Highlands, but for its proximity to the Hrubý Jeseník mountains, the town is sometimes nicknamed "The Gate to Jeseník." The highest point of the municipal territory is the peak of Ohařův kámen with an elevation of . Šumperk is located on the Bratrušovský Creek. It is a tributary of the Desná River, which forms the southern municipal border. Šumperk was probably established by German settlers from Silesia in the second half of the 13th century. The town rapidly became prosperous due to rich deposits of precious metals. Šumperk belonged to the Margrave of Moravia. The first written mention of Šumperk is from 1281. This document refers to Jeneč of Šumperk, a town administrator who lived in a small fort on the outskirts. The fort has not been preserved. A Dominican monastery was founded in 1297. Šumperk was sold to lords of Lipá by Margrave Charles in 1340. Šumperk was regained by the Margrave of Moravia in 1352.