Tanvald (; german: Tannwald) is a town in
Jablonec nad Nisou District in the
Liberec Region of the
Czech Republic. It has about 6,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The town part of Šumburk nad Desnou and the village of Žďár are administrative parts of Tanvald.
Etymology
The original German name means literally "
fir
Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...
forest". The Czech name was created by transcription of the German name.
Geography
Tanvald is located about east of
Jablonec nad Nisou. It lies in the
Jizera Mountains. The highest point is the mountain Špičák at above sea level. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers
Kamenice, which flows along the southern municipal border, and
Desná, which flows across the eastern part of the municipal territory.
History
The first written mention of Tanvald is from 1586, when it was described as a lumbering settlement. In 1895, the village was promoted to a market town and in 1905 to a town. In 1848, Žďár was joined to Tanvald.
The first written mention of Šumburk nad Desnou is from the 17th century, it was probably founded between 1565 and 1581. In 1906, it was promoted to a
market town and in 1925 to a town. In 1942, Tanvald and Šumburk nad Desnou were merged into one municipality.
[
From 1938 to 1945 Tanvald was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. The majority ]Sudeten German
German Bohemians (german: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer, i.e. German Bohemians and German Moravians), later known as Sudeten Germans, were ethnic Germans living in the Czech lands of the Bohemian Crown, which later became an integral part ...
population was expelled in 1945. The town was then resettled with Czechs.[
]
Demographics
Transport
The town has direct rail connection with Prague. Traffic on the railway line to Jelenia Góra in Poland was restricted in 1945 (the trains terminated in Harrachov) and reinstated in 2010. Koleje Dolnośląskie
Koleje Dolnośląskie (Polish for ''Lower Silesian Railways''; KD) is a regional rail operator in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland.
The company was founded on 28 December 2007 by a decision of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Sejmik and i ...
D21 line runs from Liberec
Liberec (; german: Reichenberg ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants and it is the fifth-largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preser ...
to Szklarska Poręba via the town.
Sport
On Špičák mountain there is a ski resort.
Sights
The landmark of the town is the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
. It was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1899–1901.
Špičák mountain is known for the Tanvaldský Špičák observation tower. This stone tower was built in 1909 and is high.
Notable people
*Libor Němeček
Libor Němeček (born 26 October 1968) is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.
Career
Němeček had some success as a junior in his native country. He won the Czechoslovakian Under-14s Championship and was later the doubl ...
(born 1968), tennis player and coach
Twin towns – sister cities
Tanvald is twinned with:Burbach Burbach is a name meaning "farmer's brook" (from Old High German ''bur'' "farmer" + ''bach'' "brook"). It can refer to:
Places in Germany
* Burbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, municipality in Siegen-Wittgenstein district
* Burbach, Rhineland-Palati ...
, Germany
* Lubomierz
Lubomierz (german: Liebenthal) is a town in Lwówek Śląski County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district ( gmina) called Gmina Lubomierz. It lies approximately south-west of Lw ...
, Poland
* Marcinowice, Poland
* Wittichenau, Germany
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Jablonec nad Nisou District