Horní Jiřetín (; german: Obergeorgenthal) is a town in

Most District Most District ( cs, okres Most) is one of seven districts ('' okres'') located within the Ústí nad Labem Region in the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Most. List of municipalities Bečov - Bělušice - Braňany - Brandov - Česk� ...

in the

Ústí nad Labem Region Ústí nad Labem Region or Ústecký Region ( cs, Ústecký kraj, , ), is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of the historical land of Bohemia, and named after the capital, Ústí nad La ...

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 2,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Horní Jiřetín consists of Černice, Dolní Jiřetín, Horní Jiřetín, Jezeří and Mariánské Údolí.

Geography

Horní Jiřetín is located approximately away from

Most Most or Möst or ''variation'', may refer to: Places * Most, Kardzhali Province, a village in Bulgaria * Most (city), a city in the Czech Republic ** Most District, a district surrounding the city ** Most Basin, a lowland named after the city ** A ...

, from

Ústí nad Labem Ústí nad Labem (, , ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of its eponymous region and district. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway ju ...

and from

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

. Horní Jiřetín lies in the foothills of the Ore Mountains. The highest peak of the municipal territory is Homolka with above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Horní Jiřetín is from 1263 under the name ''Jorenthal''. In 1409, Jiřetín was divided into Horní ("Upper") and Dolní ("Lower") Jiřetín. During the 17th century, Horní Jiřetín was affected by the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

and by the great plague epidemic in 1680. From the 17th century, Horní Jiřetín, divided by the Jiřetínský stream, was mainly governed by the

Lobkowicz The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is a Czech noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The family also belong to the G ...

and Waldstein families. Until the end of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the village was part of the German-speaking Sudetenland. In 1945, most of the population was expelled and replaced by Czechs.

Economy

In the past, the inhabitants of Jiřetín subsisted mainly on fishing in Lake Komořany, ore mining and various forms of agriculture, mainly

arboriculture Arboriculture () is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their environme ...

. Lignite has been continuously mined in Horní Jiřetín since the middle of the 19th century. Today, a significant part of the municipal territory is occupied by a lignite surface mine, Lom ČSA. In 2015, the Ministry of Industry proposed breaking the mining limits imposed on the mine. This would lead to the demolition of 170 houses in Horní Jiřetín. However, the proposal specifically for this mine was not accepted. In 1828, a cotton plant was built in Mariánské Údolí. It is still in operation today as the Triola company and it manufactures underwear and swimwear.

Sights

The most important architectural monument is the Jezeří Castle incorporated into the slopes of the Ore Mountains. It was originally a Gothic castle from the 14th century, later rebuilt into the Renaissance and then into the Baroque style. Most of its English-style park was destroyed by coal mining. In Horní Jiřetín there is the valuable early-Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1694–1700 by the plans of Jean Baptiste Mathey.

Notable people

* Franz Joseph Glæser (1798–1861), Czech-Danish composer * Vladimír Sommer (1921–1997), composer *

Walter Womacka Walter Womacka (22 December 1925 – 18 September 2010) was a German Socialist Realist artist. His work was pioneering early German Democratic Republic (GDR) aesthetics. Biography Walter Womacka was born on 22 December 1925 in Horní Jiře ...

(1925–2010), German artist * Vladimír Buřt (born 1964), ecologist

Twin towns – sister cities

Horní Jiřetín is twinned with: * Battenberg, Germany

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horni Jiretin Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Most District Towns in the Ore Mountains