Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region ( cs, Jihočeský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western part ...

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 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation.

Administrative parts

The following villages are administrative parts of Tábor: *Čekanice *Čelkovice *Hlinice *Horky *Klokoty *Měšice *Náchod *Smyslov *Stoklasná Lhota *Větrovy *Všechov *Zahrádka *Záluží *Zárybničná Lhota

Etymology

Although the town's

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

name translates directly to "camp" or "encampment", these words were derived from the Tábor's name, and the town was named after the biblical

Mount Tabor Mount Tabor ( he, הר תבור) (Har Tavor) is located in Lower Galilee, Israel, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, west of the Sea of Galilee. In the Hebrew Bible (Joshua, Judges), Mount Tabor is the site of the Battle of Mount Tabo ...

located in Israel. The town also gave its name to the

Taborites The Taborites ( cs, Táborité, cs, singular Táborita), known by their enemies as the Picards, were a faction within the Hussite movement in the medieval Lands of the Bohemian Crown. Although most of the Taborites were of rural origin, the ...

, a radical 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 Huss ...

. Tábor was initially called ''Hradiště hory Tábor'' ("fortified settlement of the Tábor mountain").

Geography

Tábor lies south of the capital

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 ...

, north of the regional capital

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; german: Budweis ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 93,000 inhabitants. It is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is t ...

. It lies on the river Lužnice. Tábor is located in the geomorphological mesoregion of

Tábor Uplands Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The followi ...

. The highest point is the Hýlačka hill with an altitude of and the lowest is the surface of the river. The historical old town is situated on a hill above the river, which was used for the protection of the town. In the middle of the town lies the

Jordán Reservoir Jordán Reservoir is a reservoir inside the town of Tábor in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Built in 1492, it is the oldest dam in the Central Europe. History and parametres The reservoir was created by creating an earth dam a ...

, which was created in 1492 and named after the biblical Jordan River. It was originally used for storage of water, but nowadays it is mainly used for recreation. It is the oldest reservoir in Central Europe. There are also many fish ponds in the municipal territory.

History

The area is known to have been settled since the early

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

(6th–5th century BC). The next permanent settlement is documented in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. In around 1270, a short-lived settlement called Hradiště (meaning " gord") was founded, which was destroyed most likely in a rebellion against King

Ottokar II of Bohemia Ottokar II ( cs, Přemysl Otakar II.; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his dea ...

in 1276. Tábor was founded in the spring of 1420, probably by Petr Hromádka of

Jistebnice Jistebnice (german: Jistebnitz) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,100 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Alenina Lhota, Božejovice, Chlum, Cunkov, Drahnětice, Hodkov, Hůr ...

and other members of the most radical wing of the

, who became known as the

. Soon after the Taborites were victorious in the

Battle of Tábor The Battle of Tábor took place in the early morning hours of 30 June 1420 in a locality between and the Lužnice near the walls of a newly emerging Hussite village called Tábor. Between 3,000 and 9,000 Taborites, including women and childre ...

. The fortified settlement became the base from which the Hussites led their victorious expeditions. After the defeat of the Hussites in the

Battle of Lipany The Battle of Lipany (in Czech: ''Bitva u Lipan''), also called the Battle of Český Brod, was fought at Lipany 40 km east of Prague on 30 May 1434 and virtually ended the Hussite Wars. An army of Moderate Hussite (or Calixtine) nobility ...

, the Taborites reconciled with King

Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...

, and in 1437, it was promoted by Sigismund to a royal town. In 1452, the town surrendered to the troops under the command of the country's steward of

George of Poděbrady George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad ( cs, Jiří z Poděbrad; german: Georg von Podiebrad), was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the ...

. From the end of the 15th century, the rapid development of Tábor occurred, which began to look like a real town and formed into its present form. Most of its landmarks were built in the 16th century. Great fires in 1532 and 1559 destroyed most of the citizens' houses which were usually made of wood, but the fires also became an impetus for further construction development. In 1547, the town refused to provide military assistance to King Ferdinand I in his campaign against the

German Lutherans The religion of Protestantism, a form of Christianity, was founded within Germany in the 16th-century Reformation. It was formed as a new direction from some Roman Catholic principles. It was led initially by Martin Luther and later by John Cal ...

. Ferdinand I punished Tábor by confiscation of vast lands which were the source of prosperity of the town. After the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain ( cz, Bitva na Bílé hoře; german: Schlacht am Weißen Berg) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the n ...

in 1620 the town did not surrender to the rule of King Ferdinand II and so the Imperial Army under the command of general Marradas began the half-year long siege that ended in November 1621 when the town surrendered mainly due to lack of food. In 1648, the town was stormed and looted by Swedish army. After 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 ...

, a long period of peace occurred and the town recovered. In the mid-17th century, the monks from the

Order of Discalced Augustinians The Order of Discalced Augustinians (; abbreviation: OAD) is a mendicant order that branched off from the Order of Saint Augustine as a reform movement. History During the Counter-Reformation, there was a special interest among the Augustinian f ...

were invited to spread the Catholic faith. Until 1918, "''Tabor – Tábor''" 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 ...

(the Austrian side after the compromise of 1867), in the district with the same name, one of the 94 ''Bezirkshauptmannschaften'' in Bohemia.

Demographics

Economy

The Tábor Hospital is by far the largest employer based in the town. The largest industrial employer is BRISK Tábor a.s., producer of spark plugs. The tradition of this production in Tábor dates back to 1935.

Transport

Tábor is a significant transport hub. It lies on the mainline railway linking

with

and

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital ...

and local branch lines to Bechyně and Pelhřimov. The Tábor–Bechyně railway, built in 1903, was the first

electrified railway A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), ele ...

line in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. The town also lies on the

European route E55 European route E55 is an E-route. It passes through the following cities: Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg – Nykøbing Falster – Gedser … Rostock – Berlin – Lübbenau – Dresden – Teplice – Prag ...

and it will be connected with Prague, České Budějovice and the Czech–Austrian border with a highway after the building of the planned D3 motorway is finished.

Sport

After the 2019–20 season, the local football club FC MAS Táborsko was promoted into the second-level

Czech National Football League The Czech National Football League ( cs, Fotbalová národní liga, ''FNL''), currently known as Fortuna národní liga due to sponsorship reasons, is the second level professional association football league in the Czech Republic. Before 2013 it ...

. Tábor is also equipped with a winter stadium. The local ice hockey club, HC Tábor, plays in the third-level ice hockey league. Other sport facilities in Tábor include a swimming pool and the Komora sports complex. The town hosts Cyklokros Tábor, an annual cyclo-cross race that is part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.

Sights

Though a large part of the ancient fortifications has been demolished, Tábor still preserves many memorials of its past fame. The historical centre is formed by Žižkovo Square and adjacent streets, and is delimited by remains of the town walls. Only very narrow streets lead to it; this rendered the approach to the square more difficult in times of war. Many architecturally valuable burgher houses decorated by frescos, sgraffiti and gables are preserved, and represent almost all architectural styles.

Town fortifications

Major parts of the town fortifications, including the Kotnov Tower and the Bechyňská Gate near the tower, still exist. Kotnov Tower is the remains of a stone castle which was documented in 1370. It is a landmark on the town's skyline, and today it serves as an observation tower. A labyrinth of tunnels lies under the houses and streets. The townspeople dug cellars under their houses, and these were subsequently interconnected; an approximately -long section of the tunnel system is open to the public and is a part of the Hussite Museum.

Main square

The largest building on the square is the Dean Church of the

Transfiguration of Jesus In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it (). In these ...

on the Mount Tabor. It was built in 1480–1512 in the style of the Bohemian Renaissance. In the centre of the square there are a Renaissance fountain from 1567–1568, and a statue of

Jan Žižka Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha ( en, John Zizka of Trocnov and the Chalice; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czech general – a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus and a Radical Hussite who led the Taborites. Žižka was a successful milit ...

, the greatest of the Hussite leaders. The statue was created in 1884 by Josef Strachovský and replaced a defective statue from 1877 by Josef Václav Myslbek. The Old Town Hall was built in stages from 1420 to 1521 in late Gothic style. After it was damaged in the Thirty Year's War, it was reconstructed in Baroque style, but in 1878 its late Gothic appearance was restored, and since then no major alterations have been made. Since 1960, its premises have been used for the Hussite Museum and galleries, and the largest and most representative hall is used for important cultural events. The museum contains interesting relics of the Hussite period such as the Altar Wings of Roudníky.

Ecclesiastical buildings

Tabor CZ Nicholas-of-Hus Square with Nativity of Virgin Mary Church 316

The second church in the historical centre is the Church of Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the complex of Discalced Augustinians Monastery. The monastery complex was built on the site of abandoned houses in 1642–1666. The church has a Classical Baroque facade. At the beginning of the 19th century the monastery was abolished and the building was converted into a prison. Today, the local museum has its headquarters and depository there, and both the monastery and the church are inaccessible. The former Church of Saints Philip and James is located below the town walls and is the oldest sacral building in Tábor. Its existence was first mentioned in 1377. It was originally a cemetery chapel, rebuilt to a Baroque church after 1744. Today it serves cultural purposes. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Klokoty is a Baroque pilgrimage church. The church was built in 1700–1714 and in the following years, cloisters and chapels were added. It is one of the most valuable cultural monuments in the region. It still serves religious purposes. The way to it is lined with Stations of the Cross.

Other cultural sights

Měšice Castle is located in Měšice village. It was built in 1545 as a Renaissance fortress and redesigned into the Baroque style in 1699.

Natural sights

In Klokoty, there is the Pod Klokoty Geological Exposition along the Lužnice. On the east edge of the town, there is a rock formation called ''Granátová skála'' ("

Garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different s ...

Rock"). The rock is a deposit of red garnets that can be as large as hazelnuts and is protected as a natural monument. The majority of the rock was mined and used as construction material.

Tábor Zoo Tábor Zoo ( cs, Zoologická zahrada Tábor) is a zoological garden in the south-east of the town of Tábor, in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, founded in May 2015. At 10 hectares, it is the largest zoo in the South Bohemian Regio ...

in Větrovy is the largest zoological garden in the South Bohemian Region. It was opened in 2015. The botanical garden in Tábor was founded in 1866, which makes it the second oldest in the country. It belongs to the neighbouring Secondary Agricultural School. It contains more than 4,000 plants and 400 trees. The seeds from there are sent to more than 400 places in the world. Most of the garden is occupied by an arboretum. There is a small lake and a rock garden. The three glasshouses contains cacti, succulents, orchids, carnivorous plants and many other exotic plants.

Parks

Pod Kotnovem is a park that is placed next to Bechyňská gate and Kotnov tower. Originally, it was an old cemetery but in the 20th century, it was converted into a park after new cemetery was opened in 1921. Some of the gravestones remained here until present. Husův park started to form in 1871, after the train station was built. It was not reconstructed until 1991, along with some other buildings in the surroundings. The ceremonial opening of the newly reconstructed park was in 1997. At one part of this park, there stands a big monument to

Jan Hus Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the insp ...

by Czech sculptor

František Bílek František Bílek (6 November 1872, Chýnov – 13 October 1941, Chýnov) was a Czech sculptor and architect, in the Art Nouveau and Symbolist styles. Biography His father was a wheelwright. He graduated from primary school in Tábor, then went ...

, made in 1928. U Popraviště is the biggest park in Tábor. The park is built around a former

gallows A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...

, which was used during

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 ...

. There is a monument to 156 victims of repression by the German Nazi occupiers that was built in 1945–1950, which includes a bronze board with lions and bronze relief board with figures. The rest of the park rose at the end of the 20th century. It contains sculptures, fountains, tree alleys, benches, flower patches and a playground. Holečkovy sady is a park founded in the 1930s. It is a green ring around the historic core of Tábor named after a writer and translator Josef Holeček. It is located on a hill and it has many paths and stairs made from rocks, lined with large trees. Some smaller monuments are also there – a memorial to Josef Holeček, a white gazebo, cross and two small chapels.

Notable people

* Johan Peter Wotapek von Ritterwald (1676–1763), judge *

Oskar Nedbal Oskar Nedbal (26 March 1874 – 24 December 1930) was a Czech violist, composer, and conductor of classical music. Early life Nedbal was born in Tábor, in southern Bohemia. He studied the violin at the Prague Conservatory under Antonín Be ...

(1874–1930), violinist, composer and conductor *

Petr Zenkl Petr Zenkl (13 June 1884 – 2 November 1975) was an influential Czech politician, government minister, mayor of Prague, chairman of the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party (1945-1948), deputy prime minister of Czechoslovakia (1946-1948) and th ...

(1884–1975), politician * Jiří Traxler (1912–2011), Czech-Canadian jazz pianist and composer * Karel Černý (1922–2014), art director; lived and died here * Bohumil Němeček (1938–2010), boxer, Olympic winner * Rudolf V. Perina (1945–2018), American diplomat * Jiří Balík (born 1953), agroscientist *

Jiří Lála Jiří Lála (born August 21, 1959 in Tábor, Czechoslovakia) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. He played for HC Jihlava. He was a member of the Czechoslovak 1981 Canada Cup team ...

(born 1959), ice hockey player * Helena Fuchsová (born 1965), 400m track and field athlete *

Radek Dvořák Radek Dvořák (born March 9, 1977) is a Czech former professional ice hockey right winger. Dvořák was drafted in the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, tenth overall, by the Florida Panthers. A veteran of 1,260 NHL games, Radek has pla ...

(born 1977), ice hockey player * Jan Šimák (born 1978), footballer * Jana Sedláčková (born 1993), footballer

International relations

Tábor is a part of the ''Commonwealth of towns with hussite past and tradition,'' along with other 11 Czech and 6 German municipalities.

Twin towns – sister cities

Tábor is twinned with: *

Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubušk ...

, France *

Konstanz Konstanz (, , locally: ; also written as Constance in English) is a university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south of Germany. The city houses the University of Konstanz and was th ...

, Germany *

Nové Zámky Nové Zámky (; hu, Érsekújvár; german: Neuhäus ; la, Novum Castrum; tr, Uyvar) is a town in Nové Zámky District in the Nitra Region of southwestern Slovakia. Geography The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, ...

, Slovakia * Orinda, United States *

Škofja Loka Škofja Loka (; german: Bischoflack) is a town in Slovenia. It is the economic, cultural, educational, and administrative center of the Municipality of Škofja Loka in Upper Carniola. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Geography Škofja Loka lies ...

, Slovenia *

Wels Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the eighth largest city in Austria. Geography Wels is in the ...

, Austria

Gallery

Tabor-kościół i pomnik Rolanda.jpg, Church and statue of Roland Tábor from north.jpg, View of Tábor from the north, end of the 19th century, with well-visible town fortification,

Ignác Šechtl Ignác Šechtl (26 May 1840 – 6 July 1911), also known as Ignace Schächtl or Hynek Šechtl, was a pioneer of Czech photography (especially photojournalism) and cinematography. He moved from Prague, to Kladno, Plzeň, Bucharest, Prachatice and ...

Tábor Žižka Square.jpg, Žižkovo Square with town hall and church, 1895,

Tabor,Czech Republic.jpg, Southwest corner of Žižkovo Square as viewed from the church tower Tábor-pohled od řeky Lužnice.jpg, View of Tábor from the river Lužnice Pomník Jana Husa v Táboře.jpg, Monument to Jan Hus by sculptor František Bílek Klokoty-klášter-2007.jpg, Pilgrimage church in Klokoty Tabor Old Town.jpg, Old Town, Šechtl and Voseček Tábor, náměstí TGM.jpg, Higher Vocational School and Secondary Agricultural School Tábor

References

External links

*
Official tourist portalHussite Museum in Tábor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tabor Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Tábor District 1420 establishments in Europe Populated places established in the 1420s