Dvůr Králové nad Labem
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Dvůr Králové nad Labem (, german: Königinhof an der Elbe) is a town in
Trutnov District Trutnov District ( cs, okres Trutnov is a district (''okres'') within Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Its administrative center is the town of Trutnov. Complete list of municipalities Batňovice - Bernartice - Bílá Třemešná ...
in the
Hradec Králové Region Hradec Králové Region ( cs, Královéhradecký kraj, ; pl, Kraj hradecki) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec K ...
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 15,000 inhabitants. It lies in the
Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
river valley. Dvůr Králové nad Labem is known for the
Safari Park Dvůr Králové Safari Park Dvůr Králové, known as Dvůr Králové Zoo until 2018, is a zoo located in Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Czech Republic. It is the second largest zoo in the country, showcasing a large open " safari" section. One of its most signific ...
, one of the largest zoos in the country. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.


Administrative parts

Villages of Lipnice, Verdek, Zboží, Žireč and Žirecká Podstráň are administrative parts of Dvůr Králové nad Labem.


Etymology

The town's name means "Queen consort's court on the Elbe". It refers to its history, when it was owned by Bohemian queens, and geographical location. It was originally named Dvůr; the name appeared as ''Curia'' in Latin in 1270, as ''Hof'' in German in 1318, and then as ''Dwuor'' in Old Czech in 1421.


Geography

Dvůr Králové nad Labem is located about southwest of
Trutnov Trutnov (; german: Trautenau) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 29,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Trutnov is ...
and north of
Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
. It lies mostly in the eastern tip of the
Jičín Uplands Jičín (; german: Jitschin or ''Gitschin'') is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Th ...
, the northern part of the municipal territory extends into the
Giant Mountains Foothills In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fro ...
. The highest point is the hill Záleský vrch at above sea level. The town is situated on both banks of the
Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
River, in the river valley.


History

The first written mention of Dvůr Králové nad Labem is from 1270. A settlement with a small church was founded as guard point on a military trail to
Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
probably in the second half of the 12th century. The settlement began to expand with colonization of mostly German people. It is unknown when it was promoted to a town and became a property of the king. In the 14th century, the town was fortified. In 1392, 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 ...
signed the town over to his wife, Queen Sophia of Bavaria. Since then, it was a
dowry town Dowry town ( cs, věnné město) was a town that had been devoted by a Bohemian king to his wife – the queen consort. This was sometimes indicated by the name of the town, as in the case of Hradec Králové (''Castle of the Queen''), Dvůr Krá ...
and called Dvůr Králové. In 1421, the town surrendered without a fight to the moderate wing of the
Hussites The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Hussit ...
. In 1436, it became again a dowry town managed by Queen
Barbara of Cilli Barbara of Cilli or Barbara of Celje ( Hungarian: ''Cillei Borbála'', German: ''Barbara von Cilli,'' Slovenian and Croatian'': Barbara Celjska,'' 1392 – 11 July 1451), was the Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia by marriag ...
. 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 ...
, Dvůr Králové was repeatedly looted and damaged, and experienced decline. It was also marked by
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
,
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
and
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
. The town however recovered thanks to textile crafts (
weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...
and
dyeing Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...
), and became regional centre of trade and crafts. The industry further developed after the railway was built in 1858, the road network was improved, and the Elbe became
navigable A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against di ...
. In the 1880s, the first textile factories were established. Until 1918, the town was part of the
Austrian monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
( Austria side after the
compromise of 1867 The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (german: Ausgleich, hu, Kiegyezés) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary ...
), head of the ''Königshof an der Elbe – Dvůr Králové nad Labem'' District, one of the 94 ''Bezirkshauptmannschaften'' in
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. After the World War II, the German inhabitants were expelled.


Manuscript affair

On 16 September 1817
Václav Hanka Václav Hanka (also written as ''Wenceslaus Hanka'') (10 June 1791 – 12 January 1861) was a Czech philologist. Biography Hanka was born at Hořiněves near Hradec Králové. He was sent in 1807 to school at Hradec Králové, to escape the ...
allegedly discovered a
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...
appearing to be from the 13th century in the tower of a local
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
. The
Manuscript of Dvůr Kralové A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in ...
, probably in fact created by Hanka, was intended to help Czech patriots in the struggle against German culture. Although it has been proved to be most likely a counterfeit, it became an important part of the country's history.


Demographics


Economy

The largest employer based in Dvůr Králové nad Labem is JUTA a. s. The company was founded here in 1946 as
jute Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
and
hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...
processor and followed up on tradition of textile industry. Today it focuses on
technical fabrics A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...
and synthetic products.


Sights

The town is known for
Safari Park Dvůr Králové Safari Park Dvůr Králové, known as Dvůr Králové Zoo until 2018, is a zoo located in Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Czech Republic. It is the second largest zoo in the country, showcasing a large open " safari" section. One of its most signific ...
with its
African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
safari theme. Visitors may admire over 2,300 animals of 500 species of mostly African hoofstock. It has a reputation of one of the most successful breeders of many endangered species. Notable is the Church of Saint John the Baptist, which is a national monument. it was built in the Gothic style on the site of the original Romanesque church. The tower was added in 1644 and its present appearance is from the reconstructions in the 1890s. The historic core is formed by T. G. Masaryka Square. Its main landmark is the Renaissance Old Town Hall. It was built in 1833, after the original building from 1572 burned down in 1790. It has arcades and decorative façade. Other sights of the square include Art Nouveau savings bank from 1909–1910, Baroque marian column from 1754, and a fountain from 1857. In the town part of Žireč there is an old residence of the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
.


Notable people

*
Ferdinand Albin Pax Ferdinand Albin Pax (26 July 1858 – 1 March 1942) was a German botanist specializing in spermatophytes. A collaborator of Adolf Engler, he wrote several monographs and described several species of plants and animals from Silesia and the Carpat ...
(1858–1942), botanist, acted in Germany * Otto Gutfreund (1889–1927), Jewish sculptor *
Karl Freund Karl W. Freund, A.S.C. (January 16, 1890 – May 3, 1969) was an Austrian cinematography, cinematographer and film director best known for photographing ''Metropolis (1927 film), Metropolis'' (1927), ''Dracula (1931 English-language film), Dracul ...
(1890–1969), Jewish cameraman of the silent film era *
Rudolf Antonín Dvorský Rudolf Antonín Dvorský (24 March 1899 – 2 August 1966) was a Czechoslovak singer, swing musician, composer and a bandleader of the Melody Boys. Filmography * '' Him and His Sister'' (1931) - Singing postman * '' From Saturday to Sunday'' (1 ...
(1899–1966), musician, songwriter *
Jan Zdeněk Bartoš Jan Zdeněk Bartoš (4 June 1908, Dvůr Králové nad Labem – 1 June 1981, Prague) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Biography Bartoš started to play the violin as a pupil of Karel Hršel in Hradec Králové. In 1924, after he graduated from busi ...
(1908–1981), composer *
Ladislav Lubina Ladislav Lubina (11 February 1967 – 13 September 2021) was a Czech ice hockey player and coach. He was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in the 11th round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, but never played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Pl ...
(1967–2021), ice hockey player and coach *
Martin Šonka Martin Šonka (born 26 March 1978 in Dvůr Králové nad Labem) is a Czech aerobatics (unlimited) and a former fighter pilot in the Czech Air Force. He has raced in Red Bull Air Race World Championship since 2010, becoming the World Champion in th ...
(born 1978), aerobatics and fighter pilot * Gabriela Martinovová (born 1981), alpine skier * Karolína Grohová (born 1990), cross-country skier *
Josef Král Josef Král (born 15 June 1990 in Dvůr Králové nad Labem) is a professional racing driver from the Czech Republic. Career Karting & early career Král began his motorsport career in karting back in 1998, and during the following seven years h ...
(born 1990), racing driver


Twin towns – sister cities

Dvůr Králové nad Labem is twinned with: *
Kamienna Góra Kamienna Góra (german: Landeshut, cs, Lanžhot or Kamenná Hora, szl, Kamiynnŏ Gōra) is a town in south-western Poland with 19,010 inhabitants (2019). It is the seat of Kamienna Góra County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Kam ...
, Poland *
Piegaro Piegaro is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 30 km southwest of Perugia. Piegaro borders the following municipalities: Città della Pieve, Marsciano, Montegabbione, Monteleone d ...
, Italy * Verneuil-en-Halatte, France


References


External links

*
Official tourist portalSafari Park Dvůr KrálovéRegional news
*
Virtual show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dvur Kralove nad Labem Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Trutnov District Populated riverside places in the Czech Republic Populated places on the Elbe