Děčín

Děčín (; ) is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It is the seventth largest municipality in the country by area. Děčín is an important traffic junction.

Administrative division

Děčín consists of 35 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):

*Děčín I-Děčín (4,723)
*Děčín II-Nové Město (5,948)
*Děčín III-Staré Město (3,687)
*Děčín IV-Podmokly (5,376)
*Děčín V-Rozbělesy (342)
*Děčín VI-Letná (7,502)
*Děčín VII-Chrochvice (1,252)
*Děčín VIII-Dolní Oldřichov (704)
*Děčín IX-Bynov (3,670)
*Děčín X-Bělá (907)
*Děčín XI-Horní Žleb (292)
*Děčín XII-Vilsnice (277)
*Děčín XIII-Loubí (185)
*Děčín XIV-Dolní Žleb (141)
*Děčín XV-Prostřední Žleb (232)
*Děčín XVI-Přípeř (97)
*Děčín XVII-Jalůvčí (559)
*Děčín XVIII-Maxičky (100)
*Děčín XIX-Čechy (195)
*Děčín XX-Nová Ves (218)
*Děčín XXI-Horní Oldřichov (445)
*Děčín XXII-Václavov (306)
*Děčín XXIII-Popovice (175)
*Děčín XXIV-Krásný Studenec (594)
*Děčín XXV-Chmelnice (297)
*Děčín XXVI-Bechlejovice (166)
*Děčín XXVII-Březiny (1,757)
*Děčín XXVIII-Folknáře (333)
*Děčín XXIX-Hoštice nad Labem (45)
*Děčín XXX-Velká Veleň (93)
*Děčín XXXI-Křešice (728)
*Děčín XXXII-Boletice nad Labem (4,437)
*Děčín XXXIII-Nebočady (312)
*Děčín XXXIV-Chlum (90)
*Děčín XXXV-Lesná (152)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal Slavic name Děk.

Geography

Děčín is located about northeast of Ústí nad Labem and southeast of Dresden. The municipal territory borders Germany in the north. With an area of , Děčín is the 7th largest municipality in the country by area. It lies in the transition zone between the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in the north and the Central Bohemian Uplands in the south. The highest point is a contour line on the slopes of Děčínský Sněžník at above sea level.

The city proper lies at the confluence of the Elbe and Ploučnice rivers. Most of the built-up area is situated in the river valley with an elevation of , which makes it the lowest city in the country. The entire area of the city falls into the protected landscape areas České středohoří and Labské pískovce.

Climate

Děčín's climate is classified as humid continental climate (Köppen: ''Cfb''; Trewartha: ''Dobk''). Among them, the annual average temperature is , the hottest month in July is , and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is , of which July is the wettest with , while April is the driest with only . The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on 9 February 1956 to on 28 July 2013.

History

According to archaeological discoveries, the settlement of the area began at the La Tène times. Slavic settlement can be documented since the 7th century. The first written mention of Děčín is from 993, when the Děčín province existed and it is assumed that Děčín was its administrative centre. Děčín was founded at the ford over the Elbe in the places where the trade route led. The Přemyslid dukes of Bohemia had a gord built for the protection of the waterway. The gord was replaced by a stone castle in the first half of the 13th century. In the second half of the 13th century, King Ottokar II founded a new royal city under the castle.

The Lords of Wartenberg acquired Děčín in 1305. They made the city their family seat, but had to sell it due to debts. From 1511 to 1515, the estate was owned by Mikuláš Trčka of Lípa, who then sold it to the Salhausen family. In 1534, Knights of Bünau purchased the estate. They had rebuilt a part of the castle into a comfortable Renaissance residence. During their rule, the city experienced rapid development. Trade, transport on the Elbe and handicrafts flourished. Stone quarries, a lime factory and a brickyard were established.

The Knights of Bünau introduced Protestantism to the region, however the Protestant belief was suppressed by the Habsburg kings in the course of the Counter-Reformation, and the Bünaus were driven out upon the 1620 Battle of White Mountain. In 1628, they sold the estate to the Thun und Hohenstein family. This family owned Děčín until 1918. The city suffered during the Thirty Years' War. In 1631 it was occupied by the Saxons and in 1639 and 1648 it was conquered by the Swedish army. As a result of the war, Děčín turned into a small insignificant town.

In the 1768, a spring of mineral water was discovered in the nearby village of Horní Žleb (today part of Děčín). Count Johann Joseph Thun founded here a small spa in 1777. The spa prospered and the Thun family built additional infrastructure. Due to the development of industry and traffic, which brought noise to the area, the spa began to decline, and in 1906 the Thuns sold it. In 1922, the spa was finally closed.

A new development of Děčín took place in the 18th century. The biggest impetus to the development of industry was the construction of a railway from Prague to Dresden in 1851. Děčín on the left bank of the Elbe and the village of Podmokly () on the right bank became an important transport hubs. The growth of industry triggered the construction of apartments and an influx of residents. Between 1890 and 1914, population of Podmokly raised to 20,000 inhabitants. Podmokly was promoted to a town in 1901.

Following World War I, since 1918, the area was part of Czechoslovakia. Upon the 1938 Munich Agreement, both towns were annexed by Nazi Germany and incorporated into the Reichsgau Sudetenland. Under German occupation, a Gestapo prison and a forced labour camp were located in the city. After the war, the ethnic German population was expelled under terms of the 1945 Potsdam Agreement and the Beneš decrees. Both towns were merged in 1942. After 1945, the neighbouring municipalities gradually also merged with Děčín.

Děčín was badly hit by the 2002 European flood.

Demographics

Economy

The largest employer based in Děčín is ČEZ Distribuce, a part of ČEZ Group engaged in the distribution of electricity. The largest industrial companies are Constellium Extrusions Děčín, a manufacturer of aluminium products, and Chart Ferox, a manufacturer of gas storage systems.

Tourism is a significant part of the city's economy. The city benefits from its location in protected landscape areas and the proximity of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park.

Transport

Děčín is a significant junction of land, rail and water transport, situated near an important Czech-German border crossing. The city is located at the intersection of roads I/13 (from Teplice to Liberec) and I/62 (from Ústí nad Labem to the Czech-German border), which are parts of the European route E442).

The railway station Děčín hlavní nádraží is located on one of the most important Czech railway lines, which leads from Prague to Děčín via Ústí nad Labem, and continues to Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg and Kiel. Other lines that lead from or through the city are Ústí nad Labem–Liberec, Děčín– Kadaň, and Děčín– Rumburk. In addition to the main railway station, the large territory of Děčín is served by eleven other train stations: ''Děčín-Staré Město'', ''Děčín východ'', ''Děčín-Přípeř'', ''Děčín-Prostřední Žleb'', ''Děčín-Čertova Voda'', ''Boletice nad Labem'', ''Březiny u Děčína'', ''Dolní Žleb'', ''Dolní Žleb zastávka'', ''Křešice u Děčína'' and ''Vilsnice''.

Other three train stops, ''Děčín zastávka'', ''Děčín-Oldřichov'' and ''Děčín-Bynov'', are located on the Děčín hlavní nádraží– Telnice line, which operates only during the tourist season on weekends and holidays. The ČSD Class M 152.0 retro train drives there.

There are two public river ports.

Sights

Děčín Castle

Děčín Castle is one of the most popular sights in the region. It is located on a hill near the city centre and overlooks the Elbe. Not later than in 1128, it was constructed as a wooden fortress, and replaced by a royal stone castle in the 13th century. In the 16th century, a grand Renaissance palace was constructed on the site, to be renovated in the Baroque style from the 17th century onward.

From 1628, the castle served as the administrative centre of the Thun und Hohenstein family. They built an unusual feature of the castle – the long, straight-walled road leading up to it, known as the "Long Ride" (''Dlouhá jízda''). The last major renovation was completed in 1803. In 1835, Frédéric Chopin wrote his '' Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 34 No. 1'' here.

In 1932, financial problems forced the Thun und Hohenstein family to sell the castle to the Czechoslovak state. It served as army barracks, then it was appropriated by occupying Germans as a military garrison during World War II. Lastly, it was occupied by Soviet troops, who invaded from the east and rousted the Germans.

The Soviet Army departed in 1991, leaving the castle in a state of disrepair. In 2005, the government completed a restoration of a large part of the castle and opened it as a museum and venue for private gatherings and public events.

Sacral monuments

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the most important monuments of the city. It was built in the early Baroque style in 1687–1691 by the Thun und Hohenstein family as a castle church. A covered corridor on pillared arcades connects the church with the castle. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows adjoins the church from the south side.

The Church of Saints Wenceslaus and Blaise was built in the Baroque style in 1754–1778. It replaced a church destroyed by a fire in 1749.

The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Děčín-Podmokly is a neo-Romanesque building. It was built in 1856–1858. The interior was painted by Joseph von Führich.

The Evangelical church in Děčín-Podmokly was built in 1881–1884. It is a three-nave eclectic building.

The Church of Saint Wenceslaus is located in Děčín-Rozbělesy. Built in 1723–1783, it was designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer.

The synagogue in Děčín-Podmokly was built in 1906–1907 in a faux Oriental style with Art Nouveau elements. During World War II, it lost its function and served as a warehouse. In 1994, it was returned to the local Jewish community. Today the former synagogue serves cultural and social purposes.

Bridges

Staroměstský Bridge ("Old Town Bridge") dates from 1574. This stone bridge replaced an older stone bridge, destroyed during the 1561 floods. The bridge is decorated by a Baroque sculpture group of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and John of Nepomuk, created by Michael Brokoff in 1714.

''Ovčí můstek'' ("Sheep Bridge") is a small Renaissance bridge from 1561. The bridge is significantly arched to protect it from floods.

Tyrš Bridge is one of the main landmarks of Děčín. This steel bridge was built in 1933 on the site of the older Empress Elisabeth Bridge, which was no longer suitable for increased traffic. The steel structure is supported by modified pillars from the original bridge. The bridge was named in honor of the local native Miroslav Tyrš.

Other

In the river Elbe near the left bank stands a basalt hunger stone, which is visible only when water levels are low. It is one of the oldest hydrological monuments in Central Europe. It is an indicator of drought in the region. The oldest legible record for which the time of origin is verified dates from 1616.

The most visited tourist destination in the city is Děčín Zoo. It was founded in 1948.

Notable people

* Wenzeslaus of Thun (1629–1673), clergyman and bishop
* Anton Kern (1710–1747), painter
* Johann Münzberg (1799–1878), textile manufacturer in Bohemia
* Miroslav Tyrš (1832–1884), founder of the Sokol physical education
* Franz, Prince of Thun and Hohenstein (1847–1916), Austro-Hungarian politician
* Adolf Wilhelm (1864–1950), Austrian classical philologist and epigrapher
* Johann Radon (1887–1956), mathematician
* Julius Arigi (1891–1985), Austro-Hungarian fighter pilot
* Maria Paudler (1903–1990), German actress
* Hans-Georg Münzberg (1916–2000), German engineer
* Egon Klepsch (1930–2010), German politician
* Heinrich Hora (born 1931) German-Australian theoretical physicist
* Wolfgang Jeschke (1936–2015), German sci-fi author
* Bronislava Volková (born 1946), Czech-American poet and translator
* Jiří Bartoška (1947–2025), actor and the president of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
* Dana Chladek (born 1963), American slalom kayaker
* Jaroslava Fabiánová (born 1965), serial killer
* Vladimír Šmicer (born 1973), footballer
* Jan Švec (born 1975), media pedagogue
* Karolína Kurková (born 1984), model

Twin towns – sister cities

Děčín is twinned with:
* Bełchatów, Poland
* Jonava, Lithuania
* Pirna, Germany
* Přerov, Czech Republic
* Ružomberok, Slovakia

Gallery

Děčín, Levý břeh Labe s Pastýřskou stěnou Dm113435-5765 IMG 7499 2018-08-11 08.25.jpg, Left bank of the Elbe with Pastýřská stěna
Děčín, Masarykovo náměstí (2021) (5).jpg, Masarykovo Square
Děčín I, roh ulic Nerudova a 28. října.jpg, 28. října Street
Děčín (Tetschen) - Rose Garden.jpg, Děčín Castle's Rose Garden
Děčín, kostel svatého Václava a Blažeje Dm255205-4084 positie2 IMG 7469 2018-08-10 18.21.jpg, Church of Saints Wencelaus and Blaise
DC-Husovo-nam-kath-Kirche.jpg, Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
Synagoga (Děčín).JPG, Former synagogue

References

External links

*
Official tourist portalDěčín CastleVirtual show
by Petrus Bertius

{{DEFAULTSORT:Decin

Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Děčín District
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Populated riverside places in the Czech Republic
Populated places on the Elbe