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Velká Dobrá is a municipality and village in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants.

Velká Dobrá
Municipality
Common in Velká Dobrá
Flag Coat of arms
Velká Dobrá Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°6′35″N 14°4′12″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Kladno
First mentioned	1328
Area
• Total	8.42 km2 (3.25 sq mi)
Elevation	409 m (1,342 ft)
Population  (2022-01-01)[1]
• Total	1,799
• Density	210/km2 (550/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	273 61
Website	www.velkadobra.cz

Etymology

Velká Dobrá means literally "Great Good" or "Large Good". The name refers to "good water" or "fertile land". There were formerly two separate municipalities, Malá Dobrá and Velká Dobrá, earlier called Hořejší and Dolejší Dobrá (i.e. "Upper" and "Lower").[2]

Geography

Velká Dobrá lies about 4 kilometres (2 mi) southwest of Kladno and 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Prague. It is located in the Křivoklát Highlands. The highest point is the hill Veselov with an elevation of 429 metres (1,407 ft).

History

There is evidence of human inhabitation in the region of Velká Dobrá since prehistory. A late 19th century archaeological investigation led by Josef Szombathy discovered a large middle Bronze Age (ca. 1200 BCE) grave site near the village in the forest of Hora. A monument constructed over 50 years stood over the largest grave mound. Around sixty graves were investigated, yielding bronze weapons, tools and utensils, several of which were sent for display at museums in Prague and Vienna.[2]

The first written mention of Dobrá is from 1328, when two strongholds existed in the area, the lower at the site of the modern school on Komenského Square and the upper stronghold (still standing) at the junction of the Kladno and Karlovy Vary roads.[3]

15th–18th century

During the Hussite Wars the settlement, located on an important trade route through Bohemia, was badly damaged. In 1548, Malá Dobrá had eight settlers and Velká Dobrá nine.[4]

The village sustained extensive damage during the Thirty Years' War. Protestant troops under Frederick V marched through Dobrá from Rakovník on 26 August 1619, and looted the village. During the war many residents were slaughtered, died of epidemic disease, or fled into the forests. In 1648, reports stated that 6 out of 14 farms at the settlement were still empty, and the lower village stronghold of Žďárští od Žďár, used for accommodation during the 16th century, had been turned into farm land.

After 1700, the former upper defensive stronghold was converted into a granary, suggesting a recovering population.[5]

19th–20th century

Until the mid-19th century the Kladno region was largely agricultural, and most Velká Dobrá residents were farmers. In 1843 Malá Dobrá's population numbered 326 persons in 42 households, with another 291 persons in 36 households (average eight residents per household) at Velká Dobrá. New employment opportunities emerged when the first black coal mines were opened in the Kladno region, and expanded when Adalbert Works, a steelworks and predecessor of the modern company Poldi, opened at Kladno. The population rose by 115 between 1843 and 1857, and reached a total of 748 across Malá and Velká Dobrá in 1870, despite a cholera outbreak that killed 30 in 1866, following the stationing of Prussian troops at the village during the Austro-Prussian War.

In 1929 the Unhošť administrative district was abolished and Malá and Velká Dobrá became parts of Kladno District. In 1935, the municipalities of Malá Dobrá and Velká Dobrá were merged.[2]

Transport

The D6 motorway runs through the municipality.

Kladno Airport is located in the municipality. It is a public domestic civil airport.[6]

Sights

A statue of John of Nepomuk dates from 1753. The Chapel of the Finding of the Holy Cross was built in 1765. In 1816, it was demolished and rebuilt in its current form.[5]

Notable people

• Václav Nosek (1892–1955), Communist politician, Minister of the Interior in 1945–1953
• Tomáš Kaberle (born 1978), ice hockey player

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Velká Dobrá.

• Official website

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