Editing Plzeň (section)

===19th century===
In the second half of the 19th century Plzeň, already an important trade centre for [[Bohemia]], near the Bavarian/German border, began to industrialise rapidly. In 1869 [[Emil Škoda]] founded the [[Škoda Works]], which became the most important and influential engineering company in the country and a crucial supplier of arms to the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]]. By 1917 the [[Škoda Works]] employed over 30,000 workers.

[[File:Wilson Bridge in Europe (4515218794).jpg|thumb|Plzeň in the interbellum]]
After 1898 the second largest employer was the National Railways train workshop, with about 2,000 employees: this was the largest rail repair shop in all [[Austria-Hungary]]. Between 1861 and 1877, the Plzeň railway junction was completed and in 1899 the first tram line started in the city. This burst of industry had two important effects: the growth of the local [[Czechs|Czech]] population and of the urban poor. After 1868 the first Czech mayor of the city was elected.