Deštná (german: Deschna) is a town in
Jindřichův Hradec District
Jindřichův Hradec District ( cs, okres Jindřichův Hradec) is a district ('' okres'') within South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Jindřichův Hradec. To the east, about a fifth of the region, including the historical tow ...
in the
South Bohemian Region of the
Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The village of Lipovka is an administrative part of Deštná.
Etymology
The name was derived either from the Czech word ''déšť'' (i.e. 'rain'), which described a rainy landscape, or from the old Czech expression ''deščený'', which denoted a forest made up of tall but not very branched trees.
Geography
Deštná is located about north of
Jindřichův Hradec and northeast of
České Budějovice. It lies in the
Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is the hill Deštenská hora at above sea level. The stream of Dírenský potok flows through the town. The municipal territory is rich in fishponds.
History
The first written mention of Deštná is a donation deed of Oldřich of Hradec from 1294, when it was already a
market town. In 1364, Lords of Hradec sold Deštná to the
Rosenberg family, who annexed it to the
Choustník
Choustník is a municipality and village in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.
Choustník lies approximately south-east of Tábor, north-east of České Budějovice, and south ...
estate. In 1418, Deštná was promoted to a town. With a short break in 1531–1538, the Rosenbergs owned Deštná until 1596, when they sold it to Vilém Ruth. He annexed the town to the
Červená Lhota
Červená Lhota is a municipality and village in Třebíč District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants.
Červená Lhota lies approximately north-west of Třebíč, south-east of Jihlava, and south-east o ...
estate, which remained so until the establishment of an independent municipality in 1848. In 1774, Deštná was badly damaged by a large fire.
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Demographics
Transport
There are no railways or major roads running through the municipal territory.
Sights
The main landmark of Deštná is the Church of Saint Otto. It was built by the Teutonic Order after 1255 and was extended in 1380. The tower was raised in 1687. In 1733, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. It is the only church in the country dedicated to Saint Otto of Bamberg
Otto of Bamberg (1060 or 1061 – 30 June 1139) was a German missionary and papal legate who converted much of medieval Pomerania to Christianity. He was the bishop of Bamberg from 1102 until his death. He was canonized in 1189.
Early life
Th ...
.
The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is located on the outskirts of the town. It was built in the second quarter of the 17th century and rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Among the tourist destinations are the Aviation Museum Deštná with exhibits about Czechoslovak RAF pilots in World War II, and Rope Museum of Karel Klik, which presents the rope-making craft.
Notable people
* Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739–1799), Austrian composer, violinist and silvologist; buried here
*Bohumil Jílek
Bohumil Jílek (17 October 1892, in Deštná – 3 August 1963, in New York City) was a Czechoslovak politician and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1925 to 1929.
Deposed by Klement Gottwald, he joined a new parlia ...
(1892–1963), politician
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Destna
Populated places in Jindřichův Hradec District
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic