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The area’s history

Forthcoming modern new quarter of the city of Olomouc

About the area

The whole location that lies along the Morava River has always been an area isolated from the city’s life – for a duration of nearly 142 years it has been under control of the military.

Close to the end of 19th century, on the Holická street, barracks were built, called “The Prokop Holý’s barracks”. Located in today’s brownfield area, various warehouses, training areas and a military hospital were constructed. After the Second World War, the location is then mostly used as a place for sapper technology repairs. In 1968, the barracks are being taken over by Soviet troops – only leaving them free again in the beginning of 1990s.

In 1989 the Ministry of national defence of ČSSR (Czechoslovakian socialist republic) establishes Military repairs industrial complex. The special operations of the complex included repairs of sapper and military equipment. However, the company also focused on general locksmith, welding, electro-engineering, and machinist business activities. Later, repairs of Tatra wheeled vehicles were added in its portfolio, as well as repairs of ships of the Danube River and of other shipping equipment. In 2010, the business activities have been indefinitely halted for redundancy.

The now-abandoned location struggled to remain relevant in business sphere, and by time it turned into the brownfield of today.

In 2020 the acquisition by the Redstone company took place, with the intention to include the location in the city’s veins and to make it part of its body.

— History of the area in dates

— 1850

— The excerpt of a map from 1850 allows to notice fishermen cabins located at the banks of the Morava River, as well as a home to the local “ras” (“ras” was a person who oversaw the animal carcasses disposal, which used to be a whole publicly-known and accepted craft in the 1800s – already defunct nowadays), who lived in “rasovna” – which was situated in a certain distance from the town. Not so much information is accessible about the whole location for this era in history, making the area an autonomous city periphery.

— 1880

— In 1880, by the eastern side of today’s Holická street, a Prokop Holý’s barracks were created. The military complex did not represent any place of higher-significance; thus, a variety of different armies found their shelter there – dragoons, hussars, uhlans.

— 1900

— The military objects to the western side of the Holická street that filled the whole way to the Morava River were created later in time. Different barracks, military warehouses, and training areas were constructed.

— 1918

— After the establishment of the First republic, the barracks were used by the Czechoslovakian military units, mainly by the infantry regiments.

— 1922

— In a year of 1922, works on the urban development have begun – all under the supervision of professor Skřivánek from VŠUP – Academy of Arts, architecture and design in Prague. His concept marked the location as an industrial quarter with the street distribution based on a chess-like scheme, including a new city square with residential area. After a critical analysis however, the plan was halted and never entered a realisation phase.

— 1942

In 1942, the area still included many more objects than in the years that followed. Some buildings were used as backup hospitals.

— 1946

— After the Second World War, the newer western barracks were demolished only to be turned into a repair complex. The military objects – in part – were used as a repair shop for military equipment (tanks and infantry combat vehicles).

— 1968

— In 1968 the Soviet army took residence in the barracks. It was in this era when the industrial production and repair operations were being secured. The focus was on engineering industry and woodwork. The scope of work was from revisions to general repairs of sapper equipment.

— 1989

— In 1989 a Military repairs industrial complex 042 Olomouc was established.

— 1993

— A construction of the overpass, rising importance of the area traffic wise.

— 2000

— The company regularly employed 65 people on average. From the year 2000, exceptionally supplies of Danube River ships were being received for repairs.

— 2002

Given the reduction of new incoming contracts from the Czech Ministry of defence side, and a problematic process of finding a compensatory use of the business, the company was only operating at 20% of its capacity. In 2002, the 402 Olomouc co. was incorporated among the business structure of the operations for the military repairs company of the city of Šternberk.

— 2010

— The production capacities were found to be redundant and later were sold in parts.

— 2020

— While the former Prokop Holý’s barracks on the Holická street today serve as an administrative background to a variety of companies, the look over the street does not bring much visual positivity. Throughout the last decade the whole area dilapidated to such an extent that it became an ultimately sad and forgotten place – a brownfield.

— 2021

— In 2020, the Redstone company buys the location, intending to incorporate it in the city’s value.