Letohrad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Letohrad
Town
Letohrad Castle
Letohrad Castle
Flag of Letohrad
Flag
Coat of arms of Letohrad
Coat of arms
Letohrad is located in Czech Republic
Letohrad
Letohrad
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°2′9″N 16°29′56″E / 50.03583°N 16.49889°E / 50.03583; 16.49889Coordinates: 50°2′9″N 16°29′56″E / 50.03583°N 16.49889°E / 50.03583; 16.49889
Country Czech Republic
RegionPardubice
DistrictÚstí nad Orlicí
First mentioned1308
Government
 • MayorPetr Fiala
Area
 • Total23.55 km2 (9.09 sq mi)
Elevation
372 m (1,220 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total6,406
 • Density270/km2 (700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
561 51
Websitewww.letohrad.eu

Letohrad (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɛtoɦrat]; until 1950 called Kyšperk; German: Geiersberg) is a town in the Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 6,400 inhabitants. The town lies beneath Orlice Mountains, on the river .

Administrative parts[]

Villages Červená, Kunčice and Orlice are administrative parts of Letohrad.

History[]

Kyšperk[]

The first mention in a written document comes from 1308 – during the reign of a weak king the castle Geiersberg[2] harbored villain noblemen harassing their neighbourhood. In 1513 Kyšperk was first mentioned as a town. During the last quarter of the 17th century, the owner of the town Hynek Jetřich Vitanovský from Vlčkovice greatly improved its state: he ordered to rebuild the fortress into a baroque palace, founded a baroque church of St. Wenceslas (this church is beautifully decorated with fabulous plasters (stucco) by the Italian master Giovanni Maderna), handcraftsmen were allowed to establish guilds, and a hospital for poor and old people was founded. The large fire from 1824 burned down 76 houses. In 1874 a railway crossed Kyšperk, starting the growth of industry in the town.

Červená village[]

The village was called Rotnek until 1950. It is separated from the rest of the town by a cliff called with a cross on its top.

Kunčice village[]

The village was first mentioned in a written document from 1292. In 1685 a brick church building was founded. It was rebuilt in 1761. Castelet Ovčín was built in 1686. From the second half of the 19th century until 1922, a phosphorus matches manufacture existed here. The village became a part of Letohrad in 1950.

Orlice village[]

The place was first mentioned in a written document from 1361 (a small fortress existed here) under its original name Pratum (in Latin). Since 1406 it has been called Orlice. The village has an old church building which was burned down during the Hussite Wars and for the last time was rebuilt in 1711. Since the end of the 19th century, several textile factories have been built here.

Letohrad today[]

The main source of employment after World War II have been electrotechnical industry and production of construction materials, as well as agriculture. Paneláks were built to provide housing. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 the historical centre of the town was renovated.

The town tries to attract tourists with cultural festivals, sport events and rich collection of historical sights.

Sights[]

  • Letohrad Castle
  • Wenceslas's Square with dominating baroque Marian Column
  • Chapel of St. Jan Nepomuk
  • Town Museum
  • Park

Notable people[]

Twin towns – sister cities[]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Letohrad is twinned with:[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  2. ^ More precisely, according to the , the place is called "Geyrsberg". In the chronicle itself, merely the lord of the castle, Jenisius de Geyrsberg, is mentioned. Look it up yourself in Chapter CVII of the Liber Primus: Chronicon Aulae Regiae
  3. ^ "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Letohrad. Retrieved 2020-08-26.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""