Prerau

Přerov
Town
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Olomouc
District	Přerov
River	Bečva
Elevation	210 m (689 ft)
Coordinates	49°27′20″N 17°27′4″E / 49.45556°N 17.45111°E / 49.45556; 17.45111Coordinates: 49°27′20″N 17°27′4″E / 49.45556°N 17.45111°E / 49.45556; 17.45111
Area	58.50 km2 (22.59 sq mi)
Population	44,278 (As of 2015[update])
Density	757/km2 (1,961/sq mi)
First mentioned	1141
Mayor	Vladimír Puchalský
Postal code	750 02
Location in the Czech Republic
Website: www.mu-prerov.cz

Přerov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpr̝̊ɛrof]; German: Prerau) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic where the Bečva river flows through. Přerov is a statute town (2006). It had population of 47,373 as of January 2, 2008. Přerov is about 22 kilometres (14 miles) south east of Olomouc. In the past it was a major crossroads in the heart of Moravia in the Czech Republic. It is still a major railway junction with mainlines to Prague via Olomouc, Warsaw via Ostrava, and Vienna via Břeclav, and a regional line to Brno. Today the main commercial heart of the town lies around the T.G. Masaryk Square, of limited architectural interest. Of greater interest is the cobbled Upper Square enclosed by historic buildings, where the Comenius Museum can be found.

Settlement in the locality dates back to prehistoric times. There is a world—renowned prehistoric site from the stone age on the mound called Hradisko in Přerov Předmostí. The oldest written reference to Přerov dates to 1141 when bishop Jindrich Zdik mentioned Prerov's church of St.George as one of the most important ones in Moravia. King Ottokar II of Bohemia gave Přerov the privilege of being a royal town in 1256. The mansion of Přerov, built in place of the former castle, was a residence of an influential house, the house of Pernstejn and Žerotín, from which Charles the Elder of Žerotín significantly influenced the town. Prerov also plays an important role in history of the Czech protestant church known as Jednota bratrska (Unity of the Brethren).