Jeseník (; until 1947 Frývaldov (); , ) is a spa town in the
Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region (; , ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia (''Morava'') and in a small part of the historical region of Czech Silesia (''České Sl ...
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 10,000 inhabitants.
Administrative division
Jeseník consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Jeseník (8,869)
*Bukovice (1,546)
*Dětřichov (128)
Etymology
The original name of Jeseník was Freiwaldau/Frývaldov, deriving from German ''frei vom Walde'', meaning "free from the woods". The name first appeared in Latin documents under the name ''Vriwald'' and later as ''Vrowald, Vrienwalde'' and ''Freynwalde''. The Czech name of Frývaldov was a phonetic transcription of the German name.
After World War II, the town was renamed along with many other towns containing German elements in their names. It is named after the surrounding mountains, which are called
Hrubý Jeseník or Jeseníky.
Geography
Jeseník is located about north of
Olomouc
Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region.
Located on the Morava (rive ...
, in the historical land of
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia (; ) is the part of the historical region of Silesia now in the Czech Republic. While it currently has no formal boundaries, in a narrow geographic sense, it encompasses most or all of the territory of the Czech Republic within the ...
. It lies at the confluence of the
Bělá River and the Staříč Stream. The valley of these watercourses belongs to the
Zlatohorská Highlands. The southern part of the municipal territory is situated in the
Hrubý Jeseník mountain range. The northern part extends to the
Golden Mountains. The highest point of the municipal territory is the Velké Bradlo mountain at above sea level.
History
13th century
The first written mention of Jeseník is from 1267.
[ It was probably founded during the colonization of the territory by the Bishops of Wrocław, who acquired the area in 1199. It became a town between 1284 and 1295, thanks to the development caused by its strategic location on a trade route from ]Moravia
Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The medieval and early ...
to Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
and on the confluence of two rivers, and thanks to the iron ore deposits in the surroundings. In 1284 at the latest, a castle had to stand here.[
]
14th–16th centuries
In the 14th century Freiwaldau developed as a centre of iron one processing. The first mention of the iron ore processing is from 1326, when thirteen hammer mills were already operating here. However, mining ended already at the end of the 14th century. In the second half of the 15th century, gold and silver were mined here.[
From 1378 to 1463, the town was owned by the Mušín family. In the following decades it often changed owners. In 1506, the flourishing town was purchased by the Swabian ]Fugger
The House of Fugger () is a German family that was historically a prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists. ...
dynasty who resumed mining activity. In the same year, the town obtained the ''Bergregal
The ''Bergregal'' () was the historic property rights (economics), right of ownership of mining law, untapped mineral resources in parts of German-speaking Europe; ownership of the ''Bergregal'' meant entitlement to the mineral rights, rights and ...
'' privileges. The iron ore deposits were soon exhausted or have become unprofitable, and the Fuggers sold the town back to the Wrocław bishops in 1547. The town developed crafts and gained many guild privileges at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
became the most important source of income.[
]
17th–19th centuries
Jeseník was damaged several times during the Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. Between the years 1622 and 1684, the town was in the centre of the infamous Northern Moravia witch trials. A large fire severely damaged the town in 1696. Despite the difficulties, economic prosperity continued until 1742, when Jeseník became part of Austrian Silesia after the First Silesian War
The First Silesian War () was a war between Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia and Habsburg monarchy, Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. The ...
. Due to the loss of Silesian markets as the main customer of production, linen got into a crisis and the town lost its mining privileges.[
New economic development occurred in the 19th century, when industrialization began and new factories and enterprises were established. Significant and world-famous was the ''Regenhart u. Rayman'' textile factory, established in 1822. The opening of the railway in 1888 also helped the development of the town. In 1808, the Grabenberg hamlet (later known as Gräfenberg/Gräfenberk, today Lázně Jeseník) was founded, and the spa was established here in the 1820s. Gräfenberg was incorporated into the town in 1868.][
]
20th century
Jeseník remained with the Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy until World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. According to the Austrian administration census of 1910 the town had 6,859 inhabitants, with 6,588 (99.5%) were speaking German, 16 Czech and 13 Polish. Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
were not allowed to declare Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
, most of them thus declared German. Most populous religious groups were Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
with 6,552 (95.5%), followed by Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
with 208 (3%) and the Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
with 83 (1.2%).
In 1938, Jeseník was ceded to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
as a result of the Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...
. It was administered as a part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the German occupiers operated several forced labour
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
subcamps of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...
in the town. The town was restored to Czechoslovakia after the defeat of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
in World War II in 1945. The German population was expelled according to the Potsdam Agreement
The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...
and Beneš Decrees
The Beneš decrees were a series of laws drafted by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II. They were issued by President Edvard Beneš fr ...
in 1945.
In 1950, Bukovice and Dětřichov were joined to Jeseník.[ The town was damaged by the ]1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
[ and ]2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
floods.
Demographics
Economy
The town is well known for the Priessnitz Medical Spa. Vincenz Priessnitz founded here the world's first hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...
institute in 1822. Today the spa forms large spa resort on the northern outskirts of the town. The spa is visited by people from all over Europe.
Transport
Jeseník is located on the railway lines Šumperk–Jeseník and Krnov–Jeseník.
Sights
Jeseník is poor in historical monuments. The oldest and most important monument in the town is the Jeseník Water Fortress. This Gothic castle from the 13th century was first documented in 1374. Since 1989, it has been owned by the state and houses the regional museum with permanent exhibitions on regional history, Northern Moravia witch trials, and geomorphology.[
The town hall dates from 1710. It has Renaissance core from the previous building from 1610, which was destroyed by fire in 1625.
There are several monuments in the town associated with the most important native, Vincenz Priessnitz. The tomb of Vincenz Priessnitz was built in 1853 and is today a protected heritage site. In 1909, the Monument to Vincenz Priessnitz was unveiled. It is large and the statue of a healer measures . Today, his birth house is a museum of his life and work, administered by the regional museum.
The Polish Monument is a valuable sculpture from the 1890s documenting the importance of the local spa. At its top is a bronze crowned eagle with outstretched wings on a sphere.] During the renovation in 2005, notes were discovered in its foundation, which contained a protest against the Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
.[
]
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 and violinist; worked here as bishop's governor in 1773–1794
* Vincenz Priessnitz (1799–1851), founder of hydrotherapy
* Oscar Paul (1836–1898), German musicologist
* Edmund Weiss (1837–1917), Austrian astronomer
* Károly Khuen-Héderváry (1849–1918), Hungarian politician
*Walter Reder
Walter Reder (4 February 1915 – 26 April 1991) was an Austrian SS commander and war criminal during World War II. He served with the SS Division Totenkopf and the 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS, SS Division Reichsführer-SS. H ...
(1915–1991), Austrian SS commander and war criminal
* Diether Kunerth (1940–2024), German contemporary artist
* Luboš Pospíšil (born 1950), singer-songwriter
* Jiří Švub (1958–2013), cross-country skier
* Jirko Malchárek (born 1966), Slovak politician and racing driver
* Anastasia Pustovoitova (born 1981), Russian football referee
* Loukas Mavrokefalidis (born 1984), Greek basketball player
* Petr Ševčík (born 1994), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Jeseník is twinned with:
* Bojnice
Bojnice (; ) is a historical town in east Slovakia located on the Nitra (river), Nitra river, near the city of Prievidza. The town is situated just below the Bojnice Castle. It has a population of around 5,000.
Bojnice is best known for its popul ...
, Slovakia
* Głuchołazy, Poland
* Neuburg an der Donau
Neuburg an der Donau (Central Bavarian: ''Neiburg an da Donau'') is a town which is the capital of the Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district in the state of Bavaria in Germany.
Divisions
The municipality has 16 divisions:
* Altmannstetten
* Bergen, N ...
, Germany
* Nysa, Poland
Jeseník also cooperates with Prague 1
Prague 1, formally the Prague 1 Municipal District (), is a Prague city districts, second-tier municipality in Prague. It is co-extensive with the national administrative district (''správní obvod'') of the same name.
Prague 1 includes most of ...
in the Czech Republic.[
]
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jesenik
Populated places in Jeseník District
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Spa towns in the Czech Republic
Czech Silesia