Slavkov u Brna (; historically known in German as Austerlitz) is a town in
Vyškov District
Vyškov District ( cs, okres Vyškov) is one of seven districts (''okres'') within South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Vyškov.
Complete list of municipalities
Bohaté Málkovice -
Bohdalice-Pavlovice -
Bošov ...
in the
South Moravian Region
The South Moravian Region ( cs, Jihomoravský kraj; , ; sk, Juhomoravský kraj) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia (an exception is Jobova Lhota which trad ...
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 7,000 inhabitants. The town gave its name to the
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...
which took place several kilometres west of the town. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an
urban monument zone.
Etymology
The German name ''Austerlitz'' is derived from Latin ''Nova sedes'' (i.e. "new settlement") which has gradually evolved over history through the names ''Novosedeliz'' (1237), ''Nausedlicz'' (1322), ''Neusserlicz'' (1343), ''Nausterlitz'' (1460) and ''Austerlitz'' (1611). The Czech name ''Slavkov'' is derived from Slávek (colloquial name of Bohuslav), who probably owned a manor house here. The Czech name was first documented in 1361. In 1918, Slavkov was renamed Slavkov u Brna ("Slavkov near
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
") to distinguish from other places with the same name.
Geography
Slavkov u Brna is located about east of
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
. It is situated on the border of three geomorphological regions: the northeastern part of the municipal territory lies in the
Litenčice Hills
Litenčice (german: Litentschitz) is a market town in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The village of Strabenice is an administrative part of Litenčice.
Geography ...
, the northwestern part lies in the
Dyje–Svratka Valley
The Dyje–Svratka Valley ( cs, Dyjsko-svratecký úval, german: Thaya-Schwarza Talsenke) is a geomorphological feature (a special type of vale) in South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic.
History
The Dyje–Svratka Valley has been a natural ...
, and the southern part extends into the
Ždánice Forest
The Ždánice Forest (in Czech, ''Ždánický les''; known in German as the ''Steinitzer Wald'') is a mountain range and forest in the Czech Republic, geologically part of the Central Moravian Carpathians of the Outer Western Carpathians.
The a ...
. The highest point is the hill Urban at above sea level. The Litava River flows through the town.
History
![Slavkov u Brna - Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Slavkov_u_Brna_-_Castle.jpg)
At the end of the 12th century, Margrave
Vladislaus III gave the area to the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
. The first written mention of Slavkov is from 1237 in a deed of
Wenceslaus I. It was originally a market village with a fortified stronghold and a church, located at the crossroads of trade routes. The Teutonic Order founded a
commandery
In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...
here.
[
From 1396 to 1407, Slavkov was held by ]Jobst of Moravia
Jobst of Moravia ( cs, Jošt Moravský or ''Jošt Lucemburský''; german: Jo(b)st or ''Jodokus von Mähren''; c. 1354 – 18 January 1411), a member of the House of Luxembourg, was Margrave of Moravia from 1375, Duke of Luxembourg and Elector of ...
. In 1407, it was returned to the Teutonic Order, but after the defeat of the Order in the Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...
, Slavkov was confiscated from them in 1411.[
In the 14th century, a Jewish ghetto was established near the commandery. The merger of the Christian and Jewish communities created a strong economic agglomeration, which was promoted to a town by King ]Wenceslaus IV
Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; cs, Václav; german: Wenzel, nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he w ...
in 1416. The town was strongly fortified and had four gates.[
The town often changed owners until 1509, when the noble family of Kaunitz assumed control for more than 400 years. They made it the main seat of the family.
]
Demographics
Sights
On the site of the old fortress was built a Renaissance residence at the end of the 16th century. The Slavkov Castle
Slavkov Castle (also known as Austerlitz Castle) is a Baroque palace in Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic. The town and the castle are chiefly known for the Battle of Austerlitz.
History
A first castle at the site was erected by the Teutonic Kn ...
was rebuilt to the current Baroque form by Italian architect Domenico Martinelli
Domenico Martinelli (November 30, 1650 – September 11, 1718) was an Italian architect who worked for Carlo Fontana during 1678. He was an evident figure in the shaping of Baroque style in the North Alps. In 2010 a musical tribute called "Projec ...
in the 1680s. It belongs to the oldest preserved noble residences in Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
. In its historic salon, an armistice was signed between Austria and France after the Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...
on 2 December 1805. There is a small museum and a multimedia presentation about the battle. The castle includes a French formal garden
The French formal garden, also called the (), is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. Its epitome is generally considered to be the Gardens of Versailles designed during the 17th century by the ...
, part of which was simplified into an English park.[
The landmarks of the town square are the late Renaissance town hall from 1592 and a mansion. Remains of the town walls from the 14th and 15th centuries have been preserved to this day. They are about high.
The parish Church of the Resurrection of the Lord is a late Baroque and Neoclassical building, built in 1786–1789. It has three pulpits. The church was designed by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf of Hohenberg.
The cemetery Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is located on the site of a hospital from the 13th century. Its current appearance is from 1743. Beneath the church is a vault with the Kaunitz family tomb.
Chapel of Saint Urban on the Urban Hill was built by design of Domenico Martinelli in 1712. It was badly damaged during the Battle of Austerlitz and had to be rebuilt in 1858–1861.
Only the synagogue built in 1858 remains from the Jewish ghetto. There is also a Jewish cemetery.
]
Trivia
Much in the same way that in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, the English have named Waterloo Station
Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station of t ...
to commemorate their victory at Waterloo, the French gave the name of Austerlitz to one of the major Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
ian train stations, the Gare d'Austerlitz
The Gare d'Austerlitz (English: Austerlitz Station), officially Paris-Austerlitz, is one of the six large Paris rail termini. The station is located on the left bank of the Seine in the southeastern part of the city, in the 13th arrondissemen ...
, the neighbouring bridge Pont d'Austerlitz, and the waterfront Quai d'Austerlitz. In the Netherlands, a village named Austerlitz was founded in commemoration of the battle, as was a small town of Austerlitz, New York
Austerlitz is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,625 at the 2020 census.US Census Bureau, 2020 Census Report, Austerlitz, Columbia County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&css ...
.
Notable people
* Abraham Aberle (1811–1841), poet and translator
*František Koláček
František Koláček (9 October 1851, Slavkov u Brna, Moravia – 8 December 1913, Prague) was a Czech physicist.
Koláček studied at the German gymnasium in Brno (finished in 1868), then at the technical universities in Prague and Vienna. At t ...
(1851–1913), physicist
* Peregrin Obdržálek (1825–1891), Catholic priest, writer and humorist
* Lubomír Tesáček (1957–2011), athlete
Austerlitz Austerlitz may refer to:
History
* Battle of Austerlitz, an 1805 victory by the French Grand Army of Napoleon Bonaparte
Places
* Austerlitz, German name for Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic, which gave its name to the Battle of Austerlitz a ...
is a Jewish family name, of which the bearers are nowadays spread worldwide but which indicate and ultimate family origin in the town. The dancer Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history.
Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...
was born ''Fred Austerlitz'', and thus it could be assumed that his ancestors lived in this town.
Twin towns – sister cities
Slavkov u Brna is twinned with:
* Darney
Darney () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
It is located in the Vôge Plateau, around the location of the source of the river Saône. Darney is known for its forest of oak and beech trees.
History
Darn ...
, France
* Horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
, Austria
* Pag, Croatia
* Sławków
Sławków is a town in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (part of historic province of Lesser Poland), near Katowice. It borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population of around 2 million. Sławków is situated in the Sile ...
, Poland
* Zeist
Zeist () is the capital and largest town of the municipality of Zeist. The town is located in the Utrecht province of the Netherlands, east of the city of Utrecht.
History
The town of "Seist" was first mentioned in a charter in the year 83 ...
, Netherlands
Gallery
Synagoga Slavkov u Brna.jpg, Synagogue
Zámek Slavkov u Brna - nádvoří 1.jpg, Front view of the Slavkov Castle
Church in Austerlitz.JPG, Church of the Resurrection of the Lord
Slavkov-kaple-sv-urbana3.jpg, Chapel of St. Urban
Park Slavkov.jpg, Castle park
References
External links
*
Official website of Slavkov Castle
Jewish Encyclopedia
{{authority control
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Shtetls
Margraviate of Moravia