Hořice (, also known as Hořice v Podkrkonoší; german: Horschitz) is a town in
Jičín District 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 ...
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. Th ...
. It has about 8,600 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages of Březovice, Chlum, Chvalina, Doubrava, Libonice and Svatogothardská Lhota are administrative parts of Hořice.
Geography
Hořice is located about northwest 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 a ...
. It lies on the border between the hilly landscape 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.
...
in the north, and the flat landscape of the
Central Elbe Table
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
in the south. The highest point is at above sea level.
History
The first written mention of Hořice is from 1143 in the foundation deed of the
Strahov Monastery
Strahov Monastery ( cs, Strahovský klášter) is a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1143 by Jindřich Zdík, Bishop John of Prague, and Vladislaus II, Duke of Bohemia. It is located in Strahov, Prague, Czech Republic.
History
The founding of ...
. It was founded on a hill later named Gothard, which was named after the Church of
Saint Gotthard founded here in the 12th century. In the 13th century, the settlement was moved to strategically more advantageous place below the hill. In 1365, it was first documented as a
market town
A market town is a Human settlement, settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular marketplace, market; this distinguished it from a village or ...
.
In 1423, Gothard hill was the site of a battle of the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the ...
. During the rule of the Smiřický noble family from the mid-16th century to the early 17th century, the town developed rapidly.
In 1846, the town square was damaged by a large fire, which destroyed most of the wooden houses. The wooden buildings were replaced by stone houses, which initiated stone quarrying in many local quarries. This has led to economic development and Hořice turned into a real town. Several factories were established, especially by Jewish entrepreneurs, and sandstone quarrying also developed. In 1882, the railway was built and connected the town with 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 a ...
and Jičín
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.
T ...
.[
]
Demographics
Economy
The town is known for its production of ''Hořické trubičky'' ("Hořice Rolls"), which is a traditional confectionery. The production started here in 1812. The manufactory is a protected geographical indication by the European Union.
Sights
The Baroque deanery Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is one of the most valuable buildings. It was built by plans of Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer
Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer ( cs, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer) (1 September 1689, Prague – 18 December 1751) was a Bohemian architect of the Baroque era. He was the fifth son of the German architect Christoph Dientzenhofer and the Bohemian-Ge ...
in 1738–1748. The Hořice Castle was created in the Baroque style in the mid-18th century by reconstruction of a Gothic fortress from 14th–15th century.[
On the Gothard hill, there is the cemetery Church of Saint Gotthard. The original Romanesque church was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1783. On the hill there are also remains of an old fortress with the first-ever Czech sculpture 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 ...
, former Jewish cemetery, and a sculpture park.[
]
Notable people
* Iacob Felix (1832–1905), Jewish doctor
*Fritz Mauthner
Fritz Mauthner (22 November 1849 – 29 June 1923) was an Austrian novelist, theatre critic
A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, th ...
(1849–1923), Jewish writer and philosopher
*Bohumir Kryl
Bohumir Kryl (May 3, 1875 – August 7, 1961) was a Czech-American financial executive and art collector who is most famous as a cornetist, bandleader, and pioneer recording artist, for both his solo work and as a leader of popular and Bohemian ...
(1875–1961), Czech-American cornetist, bandleader and art collector
*Karel Vik Karel Vik was a Czech artist, painter and printmaker. He was born on 4 November 1883 at Hořice, and died on 8 October 1964 at Turnov. His works are held by museums across Europe.
References
"Karel Vik was a Czech graphic artist , illustra ...
(1883–1964), painter
* Irene Kirpal (1886–1977), politician
* Josef Matoušek (1906–1939), historian
*Stanislav Fišer
Stanislav Fišer (14 December 1931 – 11 June 2022) was a Czech theatre and film actor and dubber.
Life
Fišer was born in Hořice. He started as an amateur actor, after World War II. He first played in the Theatre for Youth, run by Míla M ...
(1931–2022), actor and voice actor
* Jaroslava Jehličková (born 1942), athlete
Twin towns – sister cities
Hořice is twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
* Jabłonka, Poland
* Kerepes, Hungary
* Strzegom
Strzegom (german: Striegau) is a town in Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the Gmina Strzegom administrative district ( gmina). It lies approximately north-west of Świdnica, and west of t ...
, Poland
* Trstená, Slovakia
References
External links
*
Virtual show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horice
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Jičín District
Shtetls