Krupka

Administrative division

Krupka consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):

• Krupka (2,443)
• Bohosudov (3,806)
• Fojtovice (54)
• Horní Krupka (96)
• Maršov (3,622)
• Nové Modlany (205)
• Soběchleby (291)
• Unčín (796)
• Vrchoslav (793)

Etymology

The name Krupka was derived from the old Czech adjective krupá, which means 'rough'. Krupá was a name of a nearby hill. The German name Graupen was created by transcription of the Czech name.

Geography

Krupka is located about 3 km north of Teplice and 11 km east of Ústí nad Labem. The southern part of the municipal territory with the built-up area lies the Most Basin, the northern part lies in the Ore Mountains.

On the southern border of Krupka there is the Kateřina Reservoir, built at the beginning of the 20th century. It was built as part of water management protection and today it is also used for recreational purposes.

History

The origin of the original mining town is connected with the mining of tin ore and its further processing. The first written mention of Krupka is in a deed of King Wenceslaus II from 1305. In 1330, existence of a guard fortress is mentioned. After the Hussite Wars, Krupka gained town privileges. During the late Middle Ages, the region was one of the world-leading producers of tin.

In the 17th century, problems with mining activities began to appear, and tin sales were stuck. The Thirty Years' War adversely affected mining. In 1708, the Clary-Aldringen family purchased the Krupka estate and owned it until 1918.

In the 19th century, the economic centre moved to neighbouring Bohosudov with the establishment of new factories and lignite mines. In 1858, the railway to Bohosudov was built. In 1898, Bohosudov was promoted to a town. From 1938 to 1945, Krupka and Bohosudov were annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. In 1960, Bohosudov was merged with Krupka and became its most populated municipal part.

Demographics

|1869|8582 |1880|10778 |1890|11826 |1900|13952 |1910|14635 |1921|14507 |1930|16096 |1950|8275 |1961|9059 |1970|8729 |1980|9336 |1991|12620 |2001|13318 |2011|13147 |2021|12106

Transport

Two railway lines passes through Krupka: Děčín–Kadaň and Ústí nad Labem–Litvínov. The train station is named Krupka-Bohosudov.

Sport

The town is home to the association football team FK Krupka, which plas in lower amateur tiers. The table tennis club has a long tradition in Krupka. Other organized sports in Krupka are athletics, swimming, floorball and bicross. The athletics stadium known as the TJ Baník stadium previously hosted motorcycle speedway from 1958 to 1966 and hosted a final round of the Czechoslovak Individual Speedway Championship for four consecutive years from 1959 to 1962.

Sights

The historic centre of Krupka is made up of Husitská Street, formerly the seat of various craftsmen. Today's appearance of the street consists of rebuilt or reconstructed originally Renaissance houses. The main landmark is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from the 14th century. It was destroyed by fires many times and restored in 1668. Behind the church there is a bell tower from the 15th century. Above the church, there is the former town hall, today privately owned.

The Church of the Holy Spirit was built in 1440–1454, originally in the Gothic style. The third church in the street is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus from 1901. Above the street, there is the ruin of Krupka Castle. Only the massive walls have been preserved. It serves as a view point.

The big statue of Saint Francis Xavier belongs to the symbols of the town. It is a Baroque statue from 1717. It was built to commemorate the retreat of the plague.

The mining cultural landscape of Krupka was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 as part of the transnational Ore Mountain Mining Region. In connection with the mining, there was created an educational pathway leading from the Czech side to the German side and showing various historically important sites. In Husitská Street, there is the Infocentre of Krupka Mining Region with an exposition focused on history and life in Krupka, mining in the Ore Mountains, and an ore collection.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows is the most significant building in Bohosudov. It was built in the Baroque style by Octavio Broggio in 1701–1709 and has a pilgrimage tradition. It is protected as a national cultural monument.

Notable people

• Carl Ferdinand von Arlt (1812–1887), Austrian ophthalmologist
• Herta Lindner (1920–1943), German resistance fighter
• Radim Breite (born 1989), footballer

Twin towns – sister cities

Krupka is twinned with:

• GER Geising (Altenberg), Germany

References

References

1. (2025-05-16). "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2025". [[Czech Statistical Office]].
2. (2022). "Public Census 2021 – basic data". [[Czech Statistical Office]].
3. Profous, Antonín. (1949). "Místní jména v Čechách II: CH–L".
4. "Vodní nádrž Kateřina – Krupská pláž". CzechTourism.
5. "Historie města". Město Krupka.
6. (2019-03-13). "Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region". UNESCO.
7. (2015-12-21). "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011". [[Czech Statistical Office]].
8. (2021-03-27). "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". [[Czech Statistical Office]].
9. "Detail stanice Krupka-Bohosudov". [[České dráhy]].
10. "Sportovní kluby". Město Krupka.
11. "Abeceda ploché dráhy – písmeno "K"".
12. "Individual Czechoslovak Championship".
13. "Památková zóna - Husitská ulice". Město Krupka.
14. "Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region". [[UNESCO]].
15. "Turistické trasy, stezky". Město Krupka.
16. "Infocentrum Hornické krajiny Krupka". Město Krupka.
17. "Kostel Panny Marie Bolestné". National Heritage Institute.
18. "Spolupráce měst". Město Krupka.