Pardubice

	Pardubice
	City
	The main square as seen from the Green Tower
Flag	Coat of arms
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Pardubice
District	Pardubice
Rivers	Elbe, Chrudimka
Elevation	237 m (778 ft)
Coordinates	50°02′19″N 15°46′45″E / 50.03861°N 15.77917°E
Area	77.71 km2 (30 sq mi)
Population	90,831 (As of 2010-12-31)
Density	1,169 / km2 (3,028 / sq mi)
First documented	1295
Mayor	Štěpánka Fraňková
Postal code	530 01
	Location in the Czech Republic
	Wikimedia Commons: Pardubice
	Website: Pardubice city

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Coordinates: 50°02′19″N 15°46′45″E / 50.03861°N 15.77917°E

St Bartholomew's Church on Republic Square in Pardubice

Pardubice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpardubɪtsɛ] ( listen); German: Pardubitz) is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle. Factories include the Synthesia chemical factory (manufacturer of Semtex, a plastic explosive), an oil refinery Paramo, a heavy machinery factory and an electronic equipment plant.

The Czech Open Chess Tournament is the biggest in Europe, with roughly 1200 players from all over the world competing in the main groups, and many side-events such as a team championship, a Rubik's cube competition and a Go-tournament.
Pardubice is home to one of the top hockey teams in the Czech Extraliga, HC Pardubice (former Tesla). The local hockey club has bred international stars such as Vladimír Martinec, Dominik Hašek, Otakar Janecký, Aleš Hemský, Jan Bulis (all natives of Pardubice) and Milan Hejduk. Ex- NBA player Jiří Welsch is also a native of the city.
It's also home of a fampous steeplechase, the Velká pardubická.

The Green Tower (Zelená brána) and the historical city centre

[edit] History

The area had a monastery beginning in the early 13th century, and the city was founded c. 1340. Arnošt of Pardubice, the first archbishop of Prague, was born^{[citation needed]} in Pardubice in 1297. Since 1874, the Great Pardubice Steeplechase (Velká Pardubická) horse race has taken place every autumn (second Sunday in October).

The Fanto Werke refinery at Pardubice was repeatedly bombed during the Oil Campaign of World War II, and forced labor was provided by a concentration camp.^[1]^[2] The Tesla electronics manufacturer operated from 1921–1989, and the Foxconn factory was established in June 2000.