Kopčany ( or Gopschein; ) is a village in western Slovakia, near the border with the Czech Republic.

History

The oldest historical records to mention Kopčany date from 1392. However, the village is much older. In the 9th century, Kopčany was part of the agglomeration of Mikulčice, an important center and possibly the capital of Great Moravia. Kopčany is also the site of one of the oldest standing buildings for which a Great Moravian origin is postulated, the Church of St Margaret of Antioch. The father of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia, came from Kopčany. There is a claim that Masaryk himself was born here. The fighter pilot Izidor Kovárik (1922–44) was born in Kopčany. He was a high-scoring SVZ flying ace who fought on the Eastern Front.

Geography

The municipality has an altitude of 160 m and an area of 21.829 km2. It is part of the Skalica District in the Trnava Region.

Demographics

Kopčany has a population of about 2,584 people.

Notable people

Genealogical resources

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bratislava, Slovakia"