Domažlice
Domažlice | |
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Míru Square, historical centre | |
Flag Coat of arms | |
Domažlice Location in the Czech Republic | |
Coordinates: 49°26′26″N 12°55′38″E / 49.44056°N 12.92722°ECoordinates: 49°26′26″N 12°55′38″E / 49.44056°N 12.92722°E | |
Country | Czech Republic |
Region | Plzeň |
District | Domažlice |
First mentioned | 993 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Zdeněk Novák |
Area | |
• Total | 24.62 km2 (9.51 sq mi) |
Elevation | 428 m (1,404 ft) |
Population (2021-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 11,056 |
• Density | 450/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 344 01 |
Website | www |
Domažlice ([ˈdomaʒlɪtsɛ] (listen); German: Taus) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation.
Administrative parts[]
The town is made up of six town parts: Bezděkovské Předměstí, Dolejší Předměstí, Havlovice, Hořejší Předměstí, Město and Týnské Předměstí.
History[]
The first written mention of Domažlice settlement is in a deed of Boleslaus II from 993. Purpose of its existence was related to the Bohemian-Bavarian border and important trade route to Regensburg.[2]
Near that settlement, a fortified royal town of Domažlice was founded by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1265.[3] The town included a royal castle. The border with Bavaria was protected by border guards recruited from Chodové (Slavic free farmers) who settled in the vicinity of Domažlice.[2]
The town was mortgaged to Bavaria in 1331, lasting until 1419 (with some interruptions). Under Hussite rule, German citizens were expelled from the town, and since then, the population has been predominantly Czech. In 1431, Prokop the Great defeated the crusaders of the Holy Roman Empire in the Battle of Domažlice. The 15th and 16th century saw Domažlice change hands frequently, but its importance diminished following the end of the Thirty Years' War. It was not until 1770 that it recovered, largely due to innovations in the textile industry.
Until 1918 the town was part of the Austrian monarchy, finding itself on the Austrian side of the Austro-Hungarian internal frontier following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. It was the district capital of the district with the same name, being one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften (district capitals) in Bohemia.[4]
Within the context of the Czech National Revival, Domažlice became a central place during the 19th century. At the time, it was the most western ethnic Czech town, very close to the border with the Kingdom of Bavaria. In the town, a pilgrimage took place on August 13, 1939, which developed into a large Czech protest demonstration against the German occupation and control of the ethnic Czech Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The German population was expelled in 1945 according to the Potsdam Agreement.
In 2005 a mass grave was discovered on the outskirts of the town, holding 54 Germans, mainly members of the local SA, executed by the Czech resistance after the end of the war, around May 8, 1945.
Demography[]
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Source: Historical lexicon of municipalities of the Czech Republic[5] |
Sights[]
The historical town core is well preserved and includes many monuments and valuable buildings:
- Houses from the 14th–16th centuries;
- Fragments of Gothic fortification;
- Dolní ("Lower") Gate from 1360s;
- Domažlice Castle (also known as Chodský Castle), nowadays serves as the Chodsko Museum;
- Neo-Renaissance building of the town hall from 1893;
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, built in the 2nd half of the 13th century, with a 56 m (184 ft) high tower;
- Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, built in the 2nd half of the 13th century and rebuilt in 1774–1787;
- Church of Saint Lawrence.
Sport[]
A local football club, TJ Jiskra Domažlice, plays in the Bohemian Football League (3rd tier of the Czech football league system).
Notable people[]
- Božena Němcová (1820–1862), writer
- Ladislav Klíma (1878–1928), philosopher and novelist
- Václav Melzer (1878–1968), mycologist
- František Michl (1901–1977), painter and graphic artist
- Jan Smudek (1915–1999), resistance fighter
- Václav Jehlička (born 1948), politician
- Jiří Vaněk (born 1978), tennis player and coach
- Karel Novy (born 1980), Swiss swimmer
Twin towns – sister cities[]
- Furth bei Göttweig, Austria
- Furth im Wald, Germany
- Ludres, France
- Two Rivers, United States
References[]
- ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2021". Czech Statistical Office. 2021-04-30.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Domažlice, tisíciletá historie místa" (in Czech). Městské kulturní středisko Domažlice. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ^ "Domažlice" (in Czech). Sdružení historických sídel Čech, Moravy a Slezska. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ^ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
- ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Domažlice" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 3–4.
- ^ "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Domažlice. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Domažlice. |
- Official website
- Domažlice (in English)
- Information service of Domažlice
- Domažlice
- Populated places in Domažlice District
- Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
- Bohemian Forest
- History of the Czech Republic by location