Deštná () is a town in

Jindřichův Hradec District Jindřichův Hradec District () is a Okres, district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Jindřichův Hradec. Administrative division Jindřichův Hradec District is divided into three Districts of the Cz ...

in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 800 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Deštná consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Deštná (667) *Lipovka (29)

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 Jindřichův Hradec (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urb ...

and northeast of

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

. It lies in the

Křemešník Highlands The Křemešník Highlands () are highlands and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located mainly in the Vysočina Region, but it also extends into the South Bohemian and Central Bohemian regions. With an area of , it i ...

. The highest point is the hill Deštenská hora at above sea level. The stream 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 A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

. In 1364, Lords of Hradec sold Deštná to the

Rosenberg family The House of Rosenberg ( or ''Páni z Rožmberka'') was a prominent Bohemian noble family that played an important role in Czech medieval history from the 13th century until 1611. Members of this family held posts at the Prague royal (and ...

, 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 of Pr ...

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.

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 The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

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 Thr ...

. 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 A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...

-making craft.

Notable people

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (2 November 1739 – 24 October 1799) was an Austrian composer and violinist. He was a friend of both Haydn and Mozart. (webpage has a translation button) His best-known works include the German singspiel '' Doktor un ...

(1739–1799), Austrian composer, violinist and silvologist; buried here *

Bohumil Jílek Bohumil Jílek (17 October 1892 – 3 August 1963) was a Czechoslovak politician. Life Jílek was born in Deštná in the Jindřichův Hradec District, the son of Jan Jílek, a local policeman, and his wife Františka née Vosolová. From 1925 ...

(1892–1963), politician

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Destna Populated places in Jindřichův Hradec District Cities and towns in the Czech Republic