- Area: 1260 ha
- Population: 4082
- Altitude: 207 asml
The village is located north of the town Hodonín, surrounded by the large forest Doubrava from three sides.
The village is located north of the town Hodonín, surrounded by the large forest Doubrava from three sides. The area of Ratíškovice has been settled, without major interruption since the Younger Paleolithic. Witnessed by the archaeological fi nds of all following periods till Slovs arrival. The fi rst written mention of the village is related to the Olomouc´s bishop Jindřich Zdíka deed from the eyar 1131. Ratíškovice belonged to the property of Moravian margraves in the 14th century, then turn in their possesion various yeoman´s, and lord´s dynasties (Pernštejnové, Lords of Lipá, Liechtensteins, Czoborové). It had been unquiet time during the Hussite and following Czech- Hungarian wars, when in the vicinici of the village several settlements disappeared (Jarohněvnice, Roztrhánky). The Hungarian Bočkajovci´s war raid in 1605 also negatively affected the village, the Thirty Years War signifi cantly decreased the number of population as well. In 1762 the municipality got into direct ownership of Habsburg´s dynasty. That time it was mostly agriculture character of village, which started changing in the middle of the 19th century when the brickyard was established, and especially from 30´s of the last century with building of the most modern europian lignite mine Tomáš(closed today), bearing the name of its founder, industrialist Tomáš Baťa. In hand with mining, the railroad fading to close village Rohatec was established, from where the extracted mineral could be transported to the Baťa´s factories in Zlín. And as well the colony of more than 30 modern houses occupied by the mine workers was built – local part was called Baťovka.
From traditional events in the village it can be visited January garb ball or October garb feast. In May there is the time for traditional meeting of male and female choirs in the premises of Slavín wine cellars called Singing under the Náklo, on the 5th of July (Cyril and Methodius celebration) the Saint´s day by the Lili crucifi x takes place on the top of Náklo. The second Saturday in July is devoted to International brass bands festival. Even today the folklore plays the majorrole in Ratíškovice. The Children´s dulcimer music, The Children´s folklore ensemble, Male choir and more popular women´s choir, called Robky ze Séčky, and many others occur here. We should not forget the brass music Dolanka and youth Veselá muzika. Great succes in soccer got, in its modern sport complex, FC Baník Ratíškovice playing the final of ČMFS in 2000.
There is a Museum called „In the Wagon“ placed in a pair of railway cars showing the history of mining in Ratíškovice and surroundings. Its visit can be combined with a short trip on rolling pedal on the already mentioned railway to Rohatec. The monuments of the village are the chapel of St. Josef from 1850 or just seven years older chapel of St. Cyril and Methodius, where you can fi nd propably Gothic wooden sculpture of Madonna with Jesus. There is a seven meters tall Lili crucifix on the top of Náklo hill, as a remembrance of Cyril a Methodius mission. A short walk to the Doubrava forest is certainly worth visiting as well. Compared to its name there are no foliate treas any more, because in the 18th century there was extensive deforestation runing here and at the open fields the sandstorms created dunes of the power of several tens of meters. The problem was resolved by the species of pine trees, yet this area of its composition is the same as the Gobi, the driest desert in the world. From that the unofficial name of this unique forest comes – The Moravian Sahara.
From the village came a long series of natives, including professor of ethnology and the author of several key publications in this field, Václav Frolec, ballet master and choreographer of the National Theater in Brno, Ivan Příkaský, artistic sculptor Miroslav Kovarik, ceramics Karel Nemec, author of books about the village, František Toman or fi ghters against Nazism, Jaroslav Kotásek and Vit Příkaský and papal prelate Viktor Mlejnek.
