Jindřichův Hradec
Town
Míru Square with the Holy Trinity column
Míru Square with the Holy Trinity column
Flag of Jindřichův Hradec
Flag
Coat of arms of Jindřichův Hradec
Coat of arms
Jindřichův Hradec is located in Czech Republic
Jindřichův Hradec
Jindřichův Hradec
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°8′39″N 15°0′11″E / 49.14417°N 15.00306°E / 49.14417; 15.00306
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Bohemian
DistrictJindřichův Hradec
First mentioned1220
Government
 • MayorMichal Kozár
Area
 • Total74.29 km2 (28.68 sq mi)
Elevation
475 m (1,558 ft)
Population
 (2023-01-01)[1]
 • Total20,828
 • Density280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
377 01
Websitewww.jh.cz

Jindřichův Hradec ([ˈjɪndr̝ɪxuːf ˈɦradɛts] ⓘ; German: Neuhaus) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation.

Administrative parts

View of the town

Town parts of Jindřichův Hradec I–V and villages of Buk, Děbolín, Dolní Radouň, Dolní Skrýchov, Horní Žďár, Matná, Otín, Políkno and Radouňka are administrative parts of Jindřichův Hradec.

Geography

Jindřichův Hradec is located about 42 km (26 mi) northeast of České Budějovice. It lies in the Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is the hill Rýdův kopec at 553 m (1,814 ft) above sea level.

The town is situated on the Nežárka river, on the shore of Vajgar pond, which is one of the symbols of the town. It is a 49 ha (120 acres) large fish pond established in 1399.[2] There is a significant amount of other ponds in the municipal territory.

History

Jindřichův Hradec Castle

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.[3]

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 style, and the town spread beyond the town walls. After the Thirty Years' War, in 1654, Jindřichův Hradec was the second largest town in the Kingdom of Bohemia with 405 houses. Soon after, however, it lost its political importance, and at the end of the 17th century, economic importance also declined.[3]

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 and Jihlava.[4]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
186912,294—    
188012,314+0.2%
189012,032−2.3%
190012,836+6.7%
191013,602+6.0%
YearPop.±%
192112,788−6.0%
193013,591+6.3%
195012,080−11.1%
196112,621+4.5%
197014,675+16.3%
YearPop.±%
198019,923+35.8%
199121,822+9.5%
200122,695+4.0%
201121,574−4.9%
202120,437−5.3%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

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.[7]

Transport

There is a narrow-gauge railway leading from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice. It is operated by Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy company. It 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.[8]

Sport

The town's basketball club is GBA Lions Jindřichův Hradec. It played in the National Basketball League until 2018.

Sights

Regional museum
Church of Ascension of the Virgin Mary

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.[3]

The town castle and palace is the third largest in the country after those in Prague and Český Krumlov.[9] It covers nearly 3 ha (7.4 acres).[10]

The regional museum is located in a Renaissance building that was once the Jesuit seminary. It appeared in the town in 1882 and is one of the oldest regional museums in Bohemia.[11] The most well-known item in the museum is the Krýza's crèche, the largest mechanical nativity scene in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.[12]

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 68.3 m (224 ft) tall tower open to the public, and for marked 15° meridian that passes through the courtyard of the church.[13]

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.[14]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Jindřichův Hradec is twinned with:[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
  2. ↑ "Rybník Vajgar" (in Czech). Město Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  3. 1 2 3 "Jindřichův Hradec – History". Tourist Information Centre Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  4. ↑ "O městě" (in Czech). Město Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  5. ↑ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Jindřichův Hradec" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 7–8.
  6. ↑ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  7. ↑ "Registr ekonomických subjektů". Business Register (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  8. ↑ "Historie školy" (in Czech). Gymnázium Vitězslava Nováka. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  9. ↑ "State Castle and Chateau Jindřichův Hradec". Město Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  10. ↑ "History of the castle". Jindřichův Hradec Castle. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  11. ↑ "Museum History". Jindřichův Hradec Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  12. ↑ "Krýza Nativity Scene". Jindřichův Hradec Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  13. ↑ "Proboštský kostel Nanebevzetí P. Marie" (in Czech). Tourist Information Centre Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  14. ↑ "Židovský hřbitov" (in Czech). Tourist Information Centre Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  15. ↑ "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
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