Vrchotovy Janovice is a market town in

Benešov District Benešov District ( cs, okres Benešov) is a district ('' okres'') within Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Benešov. Complete list of municipalities Benešov – Bernartice – Bílkovice – Blažejovic ...

in the

Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( cz, Středočeský kraj, german: Mittelböhmische Region) is an administrative unit ( cz, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in ...

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 1,000 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Villages of Braštice, Hůrka, Libohošť, Manělovice, Mrvice, Rudoltice, Šebáňovice, Sedlečko and Velká Lhota are administrative parts of Vrchotovy Janovice.

Etymology

The name Janovice was derived from the name of its founders, who were the lords of Janovice. The attribute Vrchotovy was added in the 15th century and came from the following owners of the settlement, the Vrchota of Vrchotice family.

Geography

Vrchotovy Janovice is located about southwest of Benešov. It lies in the Benešov Uplands. The highest point is the hill Obraženka at above sea level. The territory is rich on ponds, the largest are Libohošťský and Zrcadlo.

History

The first written mention of Janovice is from 1224. From the 1430s to 1528, the estate was owned by the Vrchota of Vrchotice family, and the name of the market town changed to Vrchotovy Janovice. In 1879, Vrchotovy Janovice was bought by the family of Baron Karel Ludvík Nádherný of Borutín. During World War II, a subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp was established here. In April 1944, a military training ground for SS units was established here, and the inhabitants were displaced until the end of the war.

Demographics

Sights

The main landmark of Vrchotovy Janovice is a romantic castle surrounded by a large park. The castle was founded in about 1350 as a Gothic water fortress. Then it was rebuilt in the Renaissance and Baroque styles before 1760. Prague architect

Josef Mocker Josef Mocker (22 November 1835 in Cítoliby – 15 November 1899 in Prague) was a Bohemian architect and restorer who worked in a purist Gothic Revival style. Overview Mocker was responsible for restoring many Bohemian castles and ancient bui ...

rebuilt it in the Neo-Gothic style after 1879, and Josef Zasche further rebuilt it around 1910 for the Nádherný of Borutín family. The last owner of the castle was Baroness Nádherná, unconventional emancipated woman, a patron and organizer of cultural life. She hosted here friends including

Rainer Maria Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogni ...

, Karl Kraus and Max Švabinský. In 1988 the

National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

in Prague opened a permanent exhibition at the castle about the Czech National Revival cultural movement of the 19th century. The second landmark is the Church of Saint Martin. It was built in the Romanesque style at the end of the 12th century. In the 14th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style, neo-Gothic modifications were made in the 19th century. The church is architecturally very valuable.

Notable people

Sidonie Nádherná of Borutín Baroness Sidonie Nádherná of Borutín, later Countess Sidonie of Thun und Hohenstein ( cs, Sidonie Nádherná z Borutína; 1 December 1885 – 30 September 1950) was a Czech nobility, Czech noblewoman known for hosting literary Salon (gathering ...

(1885–1950), baroness

Gallery

Vrchotovy Janovice Castle (6919).jpg, Vrchotovy Janovice Castle Zámek Vrchotovy Janovice 2019 (10).jpg, Gate to the castle and municipal office Vrchotovy Janovice, čp. 46, od zámku.jpg, Main street

References

External links

* {{authority control Populated places in Benešov District Market towns in the Czech Republic