Radnice () is a town in

Rokycany District Rokycany (; german: Rokitzan) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Rokycany is made up o ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region ( cs, Plzeňský kraj; german: Pilsner Region) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň (English, german: Pilsen). In terms of area, Plzeň Reg ...

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 1,800 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Svatá Barbora is an administrative part of Radnice.

Geography

Radnice is located about northeast of

Plzeň Plzeň (; German and English: Pilsen, in German ) is a city in the Czech Republic. About west of Prague in western Bohemia, it is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 169,000 inhabita ...

. It lies in the

Plasy Uplands Plasy (; german: Plass) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,800 inhabitants. It is known for its former monastery. Administrative parts Villages of Babina, Horní Hradiště, Lomnička, Neb ...

. The highest point is the hill Rovnička at above sea level. The Radnický stream flows through the town. Městský Pond is located inside the built-up area.

History

The first written mention of Radnice is from 1336, when King

John of Bohemia John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...

sold it to the Rosenberg family. In 1478, Radnice was acquired by the Sternberg family. From 1541 to 1620, it was owned by the

Czernin family The House of Czernin ( cs, Černínové z Chudenic; german: Czernin von und zu Chudenitz) is a Czech noble family that was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the Kingdom of Bohemia. The family is a descendent family of the ...

. In 1570, Radnice was promoted to a town by Emperor Maximilian II. After the Battle of White Mountain, properties of the Czernin family were confiscated, and Radnice changed owners several times. During the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

, the town was looted several times. From 1758 until the abolition of manorialsm, Radnice was again property of the Rosenbergs. In the 19th century, coal mining developed in vicinity of Radnice igniting industrial development. In 1893, the railway was built.

Radnice coal basin Radnice coal basin was a relatively small area around Radnice and Břasy in the Rokycany District of the Czech Republic where coal depots existed and coal mining developed in the 19th century. During the 20th century the coal reserves were largely ...

was depleted in 1986.

Transport

The railway line leading to

starts in the town.

Sights

On a hill above the town there is the Chapel of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, built by

Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer ( cs, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer) (1 September 1689, Prague – 18 December 1751) was a Bohemian architect of the Baroque era. He was the fifth son of the German architect Christoph Dientzenhofer and the Bohemian-German ...

Notable people

Isaac Mayer Wise Isaac Mayer Wise (29 March 1819, Lomnička – 26 March 1900, Cincinnati) was an American Reform rabbi, editor, and author. At his death he was called "the foremost rabbi in America". Early life Wise was born on 29 March 1819 in Steingrub in B ...

(1819–1900), American Reform rabbi; worked here in 1843–1846 *

Joseph Lewi Joseph Lewi (August 17, 1820, Radnitz (now Radnice) – December 19, 1897, Albany) was an American physician of Czech Jewish extraction. He was one of the first Jewish professionals in Albany and the first Jewish physician in Albany. Biogra ...

(1820–1897), Jewish physician *

Václav Kotva Václav Kotva (20 January 1922 – 3 November 2004) was a Czech actor. Teaching career After graduation in the 1950s Kotva became a teacher. As a practising Christian, Kotva was regarded as politically suspect and potentially disloyal by the Czec ...

(1922–2004), actor

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Rokycany District Shtetls