History of CZ starts in 1919 right after the end of first of world war. Back then the Austria-Hungarian Empire fallen and Czechoslovakia risen.
Lots of Czech young people moved to Vienna before, as it was the capital of the empire. However, after the empire fell, many returned back to their homeland. Czechoslovakia was born in 1918. Mr. Karel Bubla, the very founder of CZ who we introduced on the scene in this article, was one of them.
Tensions on the western border
CZ was focused on the gun industry and related military equipment since the very beggining. From the successes in the field of guns CZ soon further expanded into car industry, construction of bicycles and motorcycles. The very first factory CZ opened was a factory in a town of Strakonice in the western Bohemia in 1919. Strakonice was also the birthplace of the founder of CZ mr. Bubla.
As the history showed, Strakonice was not very strategic position for large gun manufacturer. Because of the growing tensions from nazi Germany, CZ had to move the large gun factory further to east. Czechoslovakian government addressed CZ with the request to move their operations elsewhere. Far from borders with Germany. And so CZ did.
CZ history in Uhersky Brod
In July 1936 it was decided that the new factory of CZ will be built in the center of Czechoslovakia, in a town of Uherský Brod. In november of that year already the factory was finished and started running.
The factory of Česká Zbrojovka in Uhersky Brod (CZUB) later took all armory operations of the original factory of Česká zbrojovka in Strakonice (CZ). CZUB was still part of CZ, but given the flow of history, it would eventually separate. First CZ factory in Strakonice specialized on cars and motorcycles, while CZ factory in Uhersky Brod focused on pistols and military equipment.
Separation of CZ
Because of the “nationalization” of all businesess during communism era of Czechia, i.e. stealing the company of its owners by the state, these two companies were later separated completely. There was no longer mother company CZ and its subsidiary of CZ UB, but instead there were two separate companies owned by the state. The relation between CZ Strakonice (CZ) and CZ Uhersky Brod (CZUB) remained only in the name itself – CZ.
Because of all the events and division of CZ to separate business, it is often reffered to year 1936 as of the year when CZ was founded. Nevertheless, the very origins go back to 1919.