Karel Ditters of Dittersdorf
(1739–1799)
Music composer who lived and worked in the
town of Javorníku. Since the year 1993 the Karel Ditters of
Dittersdorf annual music festival takes place at the end of
August and beginning of September.
Jiří Dopita (1968)
This native of the town of Šumperk and sucessful
hockey
player was one of the members of the team which won
the Olympic gold in Nagana. He received honourary citizenship
of the town of Šumperk in the year 1998 for his excellent
representation of the town and the Czech Republic.
Jan František Hanel
(1751–1820)
One of the most important local figures. A renowned
teacher,
musician and composer who taught at the prestigious
grammar school in Nové Město in Prague over the years 1781
– 1783. Jakub Jan Ryba, later the author of the Czech Christmas
masses, was his student. In his post as chancellor in Stará
Voda he also taught Jan Evangelista Purkyně. A memorial plaque
has been placed in his honour in the parish church in Moravský
Beroun.
Moritz Hansel
(1828–1902)
The founder of the present joint stock company GRANITOL
in Moravský Beroun. This was originally in the year 1895 Hansel’s
factory for waterproof linen. Hansel was the mayor of the
town several times and was a member of the District Chamber
of Commerce in Olomouc in the year 1885.
Adolf Kašpar (1877–1934)
This well-known
painter and graphic artist
is a native son of Bludov in the Šumperk micro-region. His
illustrations can be found and admired in for example the
book Babička (Grandmother) by Božena Němcová or in the works
of Alois Jirásek – A Philosophical History, F. L. Věk and
in many others. Despite the fact that he settled permanently
in Prague, he would also spend the summer in the town of Loštice
where he built a home with a studio and where a monument is
now situated.
Klein brothers
Businesmen
who lived in the chateau in Loučná nad Desnou in the second
half of the 19th century. These owners of ironworks had built
a railway track in the Šumperk region which connected up Kouty
nad Desnou with the town of Zábřeh and consequently with the
entire region.
Vincenc Priessnitz (1799–1851)
The founder of water therapy and the founder
of the Priessnitz curative spas (1822) in the town of Jeseník.
Over four hundred books in a range of languages have been
written about his curative methods, monuments have been built
in his honour, and dozens of water curative spas established
throughout Europe. He is sometimes referred to as the “water
doctor” or in specialized literature as the “medical Columbus”.
A number of renowned figures came to the formerly called Gräfenberk
spa for curative stays.
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Musical composer whose parents came from
Moravia and Silesia. This fact was the inspiration for the
founding of an international competition for piano duos bearing
Schubert’s name and taking place in the town of Jeseník. Dozens
of them have taken place with the first one dating back to
the year 1978.
Leo Slezak (1873-1946)
This world
famous singer from the Viennese
opera from the town of Šumperk.
Jindřich Štreit (1946)
A renowned contemporary Czech
photographer
whose work has been acknowledged and awarded prizes on the
international scene. He has participated in more than 450
exhibitions, published 20 photography publicationas as well
as many catalogues. His photographs are represented in promient
world collections.
Aleš Valenta (1973)
This
acrobatic ski jumper won the gold medal at
the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in the year 2002 with
a triple somersault with five turns. He has consequently had
built an Acrobat Park in Štíty near the town of Šumperk –
a facility for adrenalin sports where visitors can try acrobatic
jumps for themsleves or view various organised events.
Miroslav Verner (1941)
Renowned
Egyptologist who grew up and stayed
in Štíty in the Šumperk mirco-region.
Lea Vivot (1950)
World famous
sculptor born in the town of
Šumperk, presently living in Mexico and Canada, but often
also visiting Šumperk. His work can be viewed in the collections
of teh local natural science Museum as well as in the streets
and squares of Šumperk. Near the Town Hall is his “Bench of
Messages” or his sculptor of “A Mother with Children”. His
“Joy from Rain” can be seen on the main road and provides
a refreshing atmosphere on hot summer days.
Jan Eskymo Welzl (1868–1948)
The
hometown of this
polar hunter, adventurer, traveller
and gold miner was the town of Zábřeh. After many
travels he settled down on the New Siberian Islands where
he lived thirty years. He was sent back to Europe in the year
1924 when his merchant boat wrecked on the shore of North
America. He returned to his home country in the year 1928
and became an extremely popular figure overnight, lecturing,
giving radio talks and publishing several books based on his
experiences. He traveled in the year 1929 to Dawson in Canada
on the border with Alaska where he also died in the year 1948
and was buried at the local goldmining cemetery.
http://www.welzl.cz
