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Olomouc (feminine), Hanáčky Olomóc or Holomóc; German Olmütz) is a statutory and university city in the Czech Republic, the center of the Olomouc Region, the metropolis of Haná and one of the two historical metropolises of all of Moravia. In the Middle Ages, Olomouc was the third largest city in the lands of the Czech Crown (after Prague and Wrocław) and competed with Brno for the status of the center of Moravia. However, this changed after the city was occupied by the army of the Swedish Empire from 1642 to 1650. In the mid-18th century, the city was rebuilt into a powerful fortress and Olomouc used to be an important defensive center, the seat of a strong military garrison.