Zlín facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zlín
Statutory city
Iconic constructivist Baťa's Skyscraper
Flag Coat of arms Wordmark
Zlín Location in Czech Republic
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Zlín
District	Zlín
First mentioned	1322
Area
• Total	102.83 km2 (39.70 sq mi)
Elevation	230 m (750 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)
• Total	74,255
• Density	722.11/km2 (1,870.27/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	760 01

Zlín is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 74,000 people living there. Zlín is the main city of the Zlín Region and sits by the Dřevnice River. It's famous for its factories and businesses.

The city's modern look is strongly linked to the Bata Shoes company. This company created a special plan for its workers after World War I. Many parts of Zlín are important for their city design and buildings. They are protected by law as a special "urban monument zone."

About Zlín's Name

There are fun stories about how Zlín got its name. Some say it came from "slín," meaning "marl" (a type of soil). Others think it came from "zlaté japko," which means "golden apple."

However, the name Zlín most likely came from an old Slavic personal name like Zla, Zlen, or Zleš. From 1949 to 1989, the city was called Gottwaldov. This was named after Klement Gottwald, the first communist president of Czechoslovakia. On January 1, 1990, the city's name went back to Zlín.

Where Zlín Is Located

Zlín is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Brno. It forms a city area with the nearby town of Otrokovice. The city is in the Vizovice Highlands. The highest point nearby is Tlustá hora hill, which is 458 meters (1,503 feet) above sea level.

The Dřevnice River flows through the city. There's also the Fryšták Reservoir in the northern part of the city's area.

Zlín Through Time

Early Days (14th–16th Centuries)

The first time Zlín was mentioned in writing was in 1322. At that time, it was already a busy market town. It was a center for craftsmen in the area of Moravian Wallachia. In 1397, Zlín gained more "town privileges." This helped the city's economy grow a lot.

The Hussite Wars in the 15th century caused problems for Zlín. But the 16th century brought peace and good times. Trade and crafts like making cloth, pottery, and shoes became very popular. Zlín grew into a large town and an important economic center.

Challenges and Growth (17th–19th Centuries)

Zlín in 1898 compared to 2019

In 1605, Hungarian rebels attacked and burned Zlín. The Thirty Years' War also badly damaged the town. Many people left. Zlín residents even joined an uprising against the Habsburg monarchy, but it was stopped in 1644.

After the war, Zlín slowly recovered. In the 18th century, businesses started to pick up again. Small factories appeared in the mid-1800s, like a match factory and a shoe factory. But these closed quickly. The town still relied mostly on craftsmen. In 1899, a railway line was built, which helped connect Zlín to other places.

The Bata Era (20th Century)

Old Zlín and its early factories

Houses built for Bata employees

Popular Baťa houses, still used today

Zlín grew very fast after Tomáš Baťa and his family started a shoe factory here in 1894. This company became known as Bata Corporation. The factory made more and more shoes, and more people came to work there. During World War I, Bata's factory supplied shoes to the army.

Tomáš Baťa was elected mayor of Zlín in 1923. His company was doing very well, and his workers were also doing well. By 1922, Bata was the top shoe maker in Czechoslovakia. The company also started making other things like machines, chemicals, and rubber products.

Thousands of workers moved to Zlín. Between 1923 and 1938, the Bata company built a huge complex of modern buildings. This included thousands of homes, schools, stores, science labs, and a hospital. Zlín became a super modern industrial city with a unique "functionalist" style of buildings in Europe.

After Tomáš Baťa died in 1932, others took over the company. Zlín and the Bata company kept growing. The city became an important administrative center in 1935.

During World War II, German occupiers controlled the city. The city and company stopped growing. Zlín was bombed by the U.S. army in 1944, and many factories were destroyed. Soviet and Romanian armies freed Zlín on May 2, 1945.

After the war, the communist government took over Bata factories in Czechoslovakia in 1945. Zlín remained an important city because of its many factories. It became a strong center for business, education, and culture in eastern Moravia. New housing areas were built as Zlín continued to expand.

People of Zlín

Zlín's Economy

The biggest factory employer in Zlín is TAJMAC-ZPS. They make machine tools and have over 500 employees. The Bata Corporation (known as Baťa a.s. in the Czech Republic) now mainly sells shoes. The actual shoe production happens outside the city.

Zlín is also home to many large companies that provide services. The biggest employer is the Regional Hospital of T. Baťa, with over 3,000 workers. Other important employers include HP Tronic (sells electronics), Tomas Bata University in Zlín (education), and Tescoma (sells kitchen tools).

The "Zlín agglomeration" is a special area around the city. It helps Zlín get money from European funds. This area includes Zlín and its nearby towns, where people often travel to Zlín for work or other reasons. It has about 130,000 people.

Getting Around Zlín

A trolleybus, part of Zlín's public transport

Local public transportation started in Zlín in the 1920s. In 1939, the city decided to build trolleybus routes. These new lines were finished in 1944. Zlín's public transport, run by DSZO, has been one of the fastest-growing networks in the Czech Republic.

Today, the city has 14 bus routes and 14 trolleybus routes. There are also train services on line 331, which connects Otrokovice to Vizovice. There are nine train stations within Zlín, with Zlín střed being the largest.

Learning in Zlín

Statue of Tomáš Baťa at the university

In 1969, a Faculty of Technology was started here as part of the Brno University of Technology. In 2001, it became one of the main parts of the new Tomas Bata University in Zlín. This university has over 9,000 students, making it a medium-sized university in the Czech Republic.

It has six different faculties (or schools): Technology, Management and Economics, Multimedia Communications, Applied Informatics, Humanities, and Logistics and Crisis Management.

Culture in Zlín

Zlín is in the cultural area called Moravian Wallachia. It's also close to where three cultural regions meet: Moravian Wallachia, Moravian Slovakia, and Hanakia.

Because Zlín has a long history of filmmaking, its biggest cultural event is the Zlín Film Festival. This festival is known as the "International Film Festival for Children and Youth."

Zlín also hosts the winter version of the international music festival Masters of Rock. The city is home to the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra, a professional music group.

Sports in Zlín

Zlín has a successful ice hockey team called PSG Berani Zlín. They play in the 1st Czech League (the second-highest league). They won national titles in 2004 and 2014.

The city's football (soccer) team, FC Zlín, plays in the Czech National Football League (also the second-highest league). They played in the top league from 2015 to 2024. Zlín also has teams for other sports like volleyball, basketball, Czech handball, softball, and rugby.

Zlín's Unique Buildings

A modern building in Zlín, showing brownfield reconstruction

Zlín's buildings show a special mix of two modern ideas for city planning. One idea was inspired by Ebenezer Howard's Garden city movement, which aimed for green, planned communities. The other idea came from Le Corbusier, who wanted modern, efficient cities.

Tomáš Baťa wanted to build a "Garden City" from the start. But the city's design needed to be modern to fit the company's needs and the growing community. The city's plan was created by František Lydie Gahura, who studied with Le Corbusier in Paris.

Places to See in Zlín

Lešná Castle

• The Villa of Tomáš Baťa was finished in 1911. It was designed by architect Jan Kotěra. After being taken by the government in 1946, it was used as a youth center. Now, it's back with Tomáš J. Baťa's son and is the home of the Thomas Bata Foundation.

• Baťa's Hospital started in 1927. It quickly became one of the most modern hospitals in Central Europe. F. L. Gahura designed its original buildings.

• The Grand Cinema was designed by F. L. Gahura and built in 1932. This amazing building was the largest cinema in Central Europe at the time, with seats for 2,270 people. Today, it has 1,010 seats.

• Tomas Bata Memorial was built in 1933 by F. L. Gahura. It was made to remember Tomáš Baťa's achievements. The building itself is a great example of "Constructivist" architecture. Since 1955, it has been the home of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra.

• Baťa's Skyscraper was built to be the main office for the worldwide Bata organization. Designed by Vladimír Karfík, this huge building was put up between 1936 and 1939. It had a special elevator that was big enough to be an office for the boss, complete with a sink, phone, and air conditioning! When it was built, it was the tallest building in Czechoslovakia at 77.5 meters (254 feet). After being rebuilt in 2004, it now houses government offices for the Zlín Region.

• Lešná Castle is in the village of Štípa. It was built between 1887 and 1893 in a mix of old styles. It's one of the newest noble homes in Moravia. The castle was built for the Seilern-Aspang family. Today, you can visit the castle and see its unique historical items. The castle is inside the Zlín-Lešná Zoo complex. This zoo is the second most-visited zoo in the country and one of the top tourist spots overall.

• Malenovice Castle is in Malenovice. It was built in the late 1300s. This old Gothic castle was changed in the Renaissance style later on. Today, parts of the castle are open to visitors and have different exhibits.

Famous People from Zlín

Zlín's Sister Cities

Zlín has "sister city" relationships with these towns:

Zlín also works together with Turin, Italy.

Images for kids

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  Baťa's Skyscraper

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  Tomas Bata Memorial

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  Komenského Park

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  Komenského Park

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  Congress Centre Zlín

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  Prior Zlín, a department store

See also

In Spanish: Zlín para niños