Jindřichův Hradec (; ) is a town in the
South Bohemian Region
The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, 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 ...
of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an
urban monument reservation.
Administrative division
Jindřichův Hradec consists of 14 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Jindřichův Hradec I (590)
*Jindřichův Hradec II (5,579)
*Jindřichův Hradec III (6,943)
*Jindřichův Hradec IV (1,405)
*Jindřichův Hradec V (2,368)
*Buk (271)
*Děbolín (245)
*Dolní Radouň (262)
*Dolní Skrýchov (252)
*Horní Žďár (250)
*Matná (55)
*Otín (1,340)
*Políkno (195)
*Radouňka (682)
Etymology
The Czech word ''hradec'' is a diminutive of ''hrad'', i.e. 'castle'. Jindřichův Hradec ("Jindřich's small castle") was named after its founder, nobleman Jindřich I Vítkovec.
Geography
Jindřichův Hradec is located about northeast of
České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše.
České Budějovice is the largest ...
. It lies in the
Křemešník Highlands
The Křemešník Highlands () are highlands and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located mainly in the Vysočina Region, but it also extends into the South Bohemian and Central Bohemian regions. With an area of , it i ...
. The highest point is the hill Rýdův kopec at above sea level.
The town is situated at the confluence of the
Nežárka
The Nežárka (; ) is a river in the Czech Republic, a right tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly i ...
River and the stream
Hamerský potok, and on the shore of the fishpond Vajgar (built on the Hamerský potok), which is one of the symbols of the town. It is a large pond established in 1399. There is a significant amount of other fishponds in the municipal territory.
Climate
History
The predecessor of today's town was a Slavic
gord. The first written mention of Hradec is from 1220, when a
Gothic castle was built on the site of the former gord by the owner of the estate, Jindřich I
Vítkovec (founder of the line of lords of Hradec). In the mid-13th century, a settlement was founded by the castle and named after the founder of the castle. The current name Jindřichův Hradec is documented first in 1410.
In the late 16th century, when Jindřichův Hradec was owned by the last members of the Hradec family, the town has reached the peak of its development. The houses and the castle were rebuilt from Gothic into the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
style, and the town spread beyond the town walls. After the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, in 1654, Jindřichův Hradec was the second largest town in the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...
with 405 houses. Soon after, however, it lost its political importance, and at the end of the 17th century, economic importance also declined.
[
In 1773 and 1801 respectively, the town was damaged by large fires and many houses have undergone building modifications. Part of the town walls was demolished and a new large park was established on the border between Old Town and New Town. In 1887, the town was connected by railway with ]Veselí nad Lužnicí
Veselí nad Lužnicí (; ) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,500 inhabitants. It lies at the confluence of the Lužnice and Nežárka rivers.
Administrative division
Veselí nad Luž ...
and Jihlava
Jihlava (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. Jihlava is the capital of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava (river), Jihlava River on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia.
Historically, Jihla ...
.
Demographics
Economy
The town's economy is focused mainly on services. The largest employer in the town is the hospital. The largest industrial companies are DK Open (food producer) and Pollmann CZ (manufacturer of car parts), both employing more than 250 people.
Transport
Jindřichův Hradec is located at the crossroads of two main roads, which are parts of the European route E551
E 551 is a European B class road in the Czech Republic, connecting České Budějovice and Humpolec.
Route and E-road junctions
* (on shared signage I 34)
** České Budějovice: ,
** Humpolec:
External links
UN Economic Commission fo ...
: the I/23, which connects the South Bohemian Region with Brno
Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...
, and the I/34 from České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše.
České Budějovice is the largest ...
to Havlíčkův Brod
Havlíčkův Brod (, until 1945 Německý Brod; ) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban mon ...
and Svitavy
Svitavy (; ) is a town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. It is the birthplace of Oskar Schindler and the centre of the Czech Esperanto movement. The historic town centre is well pr ...
.
Jindřichův Hradec lies on the railway line from Plzeň
Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
to Horní Cerekev via České Budějovice. There is also a narrow-gauge railway
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...
leading from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice. It was operated by Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy
Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy (''Jindřichův Hradec Local Railways'') was the company which Operated the narrow gauge railway lines from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice and Obrataň in the Czech Republic. Both lines are gauge.
H ...
company and serves mostly as a tourist attraction.
Education
A gymnasium, today known as Gymnázium Vitězslava Nováka, was founded in 1595, making it one of the oldest non-university schools in Central Europe.
Sport
The town's basketball club is GBA Lions Jindřichův Hradec. It played in the National Basketball League until 2018.
Sights
The historic centre of Jindřichův Hradec is formed by the Míru Square with adjacent streets and the castle. The landmarks of the square are the former Gothic town hall, rebuilt several times; and Langer's house, originally a Gothic building, later rebuilt in the Renaissance style.[
The town castle and palace is the third largest in the country after those in ]Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
and Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov (; , ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. It is known as a tourist centre, which is among the most visited places in the country. The historic centre ...
. It covers nearly .
The regional museum is located in a Renaissance building that was once the Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
seminary. It appeared in the town in 1882 and is one of the oldest regional museums in Bohemia. The most well-known item in the museum is the Krýza's crèche, the largest mechanical nativity scene
In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmastide, Christmas season, of ar ...
in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
.
Sacral monuments
There are several churches in the town, the most notable are the three in the historic centre: Church of Saint John the Baptist with the nearby building that once housed Minorite monks and was later an infirmary, Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, and Church of Ascension of the Virgin Mary. The Church of Ascension of the Virgin Mary is known for its tall tower open to the public, and for marked 15° meridian that passes through the courtyard of the church.
Other churches include Church of Saint Catherine with a Franciscan monastery, Church of the Holy Trinity, Church of Saint James the Great, Church of Saint Wenceslaus, Evangelical church, and former Church of Saint Elizabeth.
The Jewish cemetery was founded around 1400. The oldest preserved tombstone is from 1638.
Notable people
* Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic (1600–1676), organist, composer and poet
* Florian Baucke (1719–1779), Jesuit missionary
* Hanuš Schwaiger (1852–1912), painter
* Antonín Rezek (1853–1909), political historian
* Stanislaus von Prowazek (1875–1915), zoologist and parasitologist
* Kurt Adler (1907–1977), Austrian-American conductor, chorusmaster and author
* Karel Berman (1919–1995), Jewish opera singer and composer
*Vladimír Špidla
Vladimír Špidla (; born 22 April 1951) is a Czech politician who served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from July 2002 to August 2004 and as European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities from Novemb ...
(born 1951), politician, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
The prime minister of the Czech Republic ( Czech: ''Předseda vlády České republiky'') is the head of the government of the Czech Republic and the '' de facto'' leader and most powerful member of the executive branch.
The Constitution provid ...
*Renáta Tomanová
Renáta Tomanová (born 9 December 1954) is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia.
Career
Tomanová won the girls' singles title at the 1972 French Open.
In 1975, she and Martina Navratilova represented Czechoslovakia in the ...
(born 1954), tennis player
* Pavel Kroupa (born 1963), Czech-Australian astrophysicist
* Václav Chalupa (born 1967), rower
* Karel Poborský (born 1972), footballer
*Leoš Friedl
Leoš Friedl (born 1 January 1977) is a retired Czech tennis player.
Friedl's career-high ATP doubles ranking was No. 14, achieved on 8 August 2005. He often partnered in doubles with František Čermák. His career-high ATP singles ranking wa ...
(born 1977), tennis player
* Petr Fical (born 1977), German ice hockey player
* Pavel David (born 1978), footballer
* Aleš Kotalík (born 1978), ice hockey player
* Jan Marek (1979–2011), ice hockey player
* Zbyněk Michálek (born 1982), ice hockey player
* Milan Michálek (born 1984), ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
Jindřichův Hradec is twinned with:
* Dunajská Streda, Slovakia
* Neckargemünd, Germany
* Sárospatak
Sárospatak (; ; Serbian language, Serbian: Муд Стреам; Slovak language, Slovakian: ''Šarišský Potok, Blatný Potok)''
History
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Sárospatak was granted town status in 1201 by Emeric ...
, Hungary
* Zwettl
Zwettl (; Central Bavarian: ''Zwedl''; Czech: ''Světlá'') is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139.
History
The name origina ...
, Austria
See also
*Asteroid 21873 Jindřichůvhradec, named in honour of the town
References
External links
*
Official tourist portal
Jindřichův Hradec Castle
Travel guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jindrichuv Hradec
Populated places in Jindřichův Hradec District
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Castles in the Czech Republic
Historic Jewish communities
Jewish communities in the Czech Republic