Jindřichův Hradec (; german: Neuhaus) is a town in the
South Bohemian Region
The South Bohemian Region ( cs, Jihočeský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit (''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 part ...
of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an
urban monument reservation.
Administrative parts
Town parts of Jindřichův Hradec I–V and villages of Buk, Děbolín, Dolní Radouň, Dolní Skrýchov, Horní Žďár, Matná, Otín, Políkno and Radouňka are administrative parts of Jindřichův Hradec.
Geography
Jindřichův Hradec is located about northeast of
České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; german: Budweis ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 93,000 inhabitants. It is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše.
České Budějovice is t ...
. It lies in the
Křemešník Highlands
Křemešník is a mountain in the municipality of Nový Rychnov in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. The mountain lies near the town of Pelhřimov and is part of Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. With an elevation of above sea level, it is ...
, which is part of
Bohemian-Moravian Highlands
The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands ( cs, Českomoravská vrchovina or ''Vysočina''; german: Böhmisch-Mährische Höhe) is a geomorphological macroregion and mountain range in the Czech Republic. Its highest peaks are the Javořice at and Devět ...
. The highest point is the hill Rýdův kopec at above sea level.
The town is situated on the
Nežárka
Nežárka () (german: Naser) is a river in South Bohemia, Czech Republic. It flows into the Lužnice in Veselí nad Lužnicí. It is 56.0 km (35 miles) long, and its basin area is 1,001 km2. The river flows through Jindřichův Hradec a ...
river, on the shore of Vajgar pond, which is one of the symbols of the town. It is a large
fish pond established in 1399. There is a significant amount of other fish ponds in the municipal territory.
History
The predecessor of today's town was a Slavic
gord. The first written mention of Jindřichův Hradec is from 1220, when a
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
castle was built on the site of the former gord by owner of the manor Jindřich I
Vítkovec, founder of the line of lords of Hradec. In the mid-13th century, a settlement was founded by the castle and named after founder of the castle. The current name Jindřichův Hradec is documented first in 1410.
In the late 16th century, when Jindřichův Hradec was owned by last members of the Hradec family, the town has reached the peak of its development. The houses and the castle were rebuilt from Gothic into the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
style, and the town spread beyond the town walls. After the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
in 1654, Jindřichův Hradec was the second largest town in the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
with 405 houses. Soon after, however, it lost its political importance, and in the end of the 17th century, economic importance also declined.
[
In 1773 and 1801 respectively, the town was damaged by large fires, and many houses have undergone building modifications. Part of the town walls was demolished and a new large park was established on the border between Old Town and New Town. In 1887, the town was connected by railway with ]Veselí nad Lužnicí
Veselí nad Lužnicí (; german: Wesseli an der Lainsitz) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,300 inhabitants. It lies at the confluence of the Lužnice and Nežárka rivers.
Administra ...
and Jihlava
Jihlava (; german: Iglau) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. Jihlava is the capital of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava River on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia.
Historically, Jihlava ...
.
Demographics
Economy
The town's economy is focused mainly on services. The largest employer in the town is the hospital.
Transport
There is a narrow-gauge railway leading from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice. It is operated by Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy company. It serves mostly as a tourist attraction.
Education
A gymnasium, today known as ''Gymnázium Vitězslava Nováka'', was founded in 1595, making it one of the oldest non-university schools in Central Europe.
Sport
The town's basketball club is GBA Lions Jindřichův Hradec. It played in the National Basketball League until 2018.
Sights
The historic centre of Jindřichův Hradec is formed by the Míru Square with adjacent streets and the castle. The landmarks of the square are a former Gothic town hall, rebuilt several times, and Langer's house, originally a Gothic building, later rebuilt in the Renaissance style.[
The town castle and palace is the third largest in the country after those in ]Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
and Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov (; german: Krumau, , or ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The historic centre with the Český Krumlov Castle complex is protected by law as an urban monument reservation, and sin ...
. It covers nearly .
The regional museum is located in a Renaissance building that was once the Jesuit seminary. It appeared in the town in 1882 and is one of the oldest regional museums in Bohemia. The most well-known item in the museum is the Krýza's crèche, the largest mechanical nativity scene
In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects rep ...
in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sacral monuments
There are several churches in the town, the most notable are the three in the historic centre: Church of Saint John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
with the nearby building that once housed minorite
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
monks and was later an infirmary, Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, and Church of Ascension of the Virgin Mary. The Church of Ascension of the Virgin Mary is known for its tall tower open to the public, and for marked 15° meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
that passes through the courtyard of the church.
Other churches include Church of Saint Catherine with a Franciscan monastery, Church of the Holy Trinity, Church of Saint James the Great, Church of Saint Wenceslaus, Evangelical church, and former Church of Saint Elizabeth.
The Jewish cemetery was founded around 1400. The oldest preserved tombstone is from 1638.
Notable people
*Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic
Adam Michna z Otradovic, or also Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic – literally ''Adam Michna of Otradovice'' – ( 1600 – 2 November 1676, Jindřichův Hradec) was a Czech Catholic poet, composer, hymn writer, organist and choir leader of th ...
(1600–1676), organist, composer and poet
* Antonín Reichenauer (c.1694–1730), Baroque composer
*Florian Baucke
Florian Baucke, also Florian Paucke, Florian Pauke, es, Florián Baucke (24 September 1719, Winzig ( pl, Wińsko), Duchy of Silesia, Silesia/Lands of the Bohemian Crown, Bohemian Royal Lands, (15261742) Habsburg monarchy (Austria) 14 July 1779 ...
(1719–1779), Jesuit missionary
*Hanuš Schwaiger
Hanuš Johann Peter Paul Schwaiger (1854–1912) was a Czech painter, designer, graphic artist and professor, best known for his fairy-tale illustrations.
Biography
He was the only son of six children born to a German language, German-speaking ...
(1852–1912), painter
*Antonín Rezek
Antonín Rezek (13 January 1853 in Jindřichův Hradec – 4 February 1909 in Prague) was a renowned Czech people, Czech political historian, specialized in political and religious history of the 16th to 18th century.
Life
Son of a renowned wat ...
(1853–1909), political historian
* Stanislaus von Prowazek (1875–1915), zoologist and parasitologist
*Kurt Adler
Kurt Adler (March 1, 1907September 21, 1977) was an Austrian classical chorus master, music conductor, author and pianist. He was best known as the chorus master and lead conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1943 to 1973. H ...
(1907–1977), Jewish Austrian chorus master, music conductor, author and pianist
* Karel Berman (1919–1995), Jewish opera singer and composer
*Vladimír Špidla
Vladimír Špidla () (born 22 April 1951) is a Czech politician who served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from July 2002 to August 2004 and as European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities from Novemb ...
(born 1951), politician, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
*Renáta Tomanová
Renáta Tomanová (born 9 December 1954) is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia.
Career
Tomanová won the girls' singles title at the 1972 French Open.
In 1975, she and Martina Navratilova represented Czechoslovakia in th ...
(born 1954), tennis player
*Pavel Kroupa
Pavel Kroupa (born 24 September 1963 in Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech-Australian astrophysicist and professor at the University of Bonn.
Biography and career
After the 1968 failure of Prague spring, Kroupa's family fled from ...
(born 1963), Czech-Australian astrophysicist
*Václav Chalupa
Václav Chalupa Jr. (born 7 December 1967 in Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech rower who competed at six consecutive Olympics from 1988 to 2008, winning a silver medal in 1992 behind Thomas Lange in the single scull.
Career
His f ...
(born 1967), rower
*Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský (; born 30 March 1972) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a right winger. He was most noted for his technical ability and pace.
He began and finished his club career at Dynamo České Budějovice, where his k ...
(born 1972), footballer
*Leoš Friedl
Leoš Friedl (born 1 January 1977) is a retired Czech tennis player.
Friedl's career-high ATP doubles ranking was No. 14, achieved on 8 August 2005. He often partnered in doubles with František Čermák
František Čermák (born 14 Nove ...
(born 1977), tennis player
* Petr Fical (born 1977), German ice hockey player
* Pavel David (born 1978), footballer
*Aleš Kotalík
Aleš Kotalík (born 23 December 1978) is a former professional ice hockey right winger, who is Assistant GM for HC Mountfield České Budějovice of the Czech Extraliga.
Playing career
Kotalík was drafted 164th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in ...
(born 1978), ice hockey player
* Jan Marek (1979–2011), ice hockey player
*Zbyněk Michálek
Zbyněk Michálek (, born 23 December 1982) is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Michálek has also previously played in ...
(born 1982), ice hockey player
*Milan Michálek
Milan Michálek (; ; born 7 December 1984) is a Czech former professional ice hockey left winger who most recently played under contract to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted sixth overall by the San Jos ...
(born 1984), ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
Jindřichův Hradec is twinned with:
* Dunajská Streda
Dunajská Streda (; hu, Dunaszerdahely; german: Niedermarkt; he, דונהסרדהיי) is a town located in southern Slovakia ( Trnavský kraj). Dunajská Streda is the most culturally significant town in the Žitný ostrov area. The town has a ...
, Slovakia
* Neckargemünd
Neckargemünd ( pfl, Neggergmin) is a town in Germany, in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, state of Baden-Württemberg. It lies on the Neckar, 10 km upriver from Heidelberg at the confluence with the river Elsenz. This confluence of the t ...
, Germany
* Sárospatak
Sárospatak (german: Potok am Bodroch; la, Potamopolis; sk, Šarišský Potok or ; ) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply ''Pa ...
, Hungary
* Zwettl
__NOTOC__
Zwettl (; Central Bavarian: ''Zwedl''; Czech: ''Světlá'') is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139.
History
The n ...
, Austria
See also
*Asteroid 21873 Jindřichůvhradec
21873 Jindřichůvhradec, provisional designation , is a dark Hygiean asteroid and relatively slower-than average rotator from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately in diameter.
It was discovered by Czech astronomers Jana Tichá ...
, named in honour of the town
References
External links
*
Official tourist portal
Jindřichův Hradec Castle
Travel guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jindrichuv Hradec
Populated places in Jindřichův Hradec District
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Castles in the Czech Republic
Historic Jewish communities
Jewish communities in the Czech Republic