Havlíckuv Brod
Encyclopedia
Havlíčkův Brod (ˈɦavliːtʃkuːf ˈbrot), Německý Brod until 1945 (ˈɲɛmɛtskiː ˈbrot; ) is a town in the Vysočina Region
of the Czech Republic
. It is also the capital of the Havlíčkův Brod district
. It is located on the Sázava River
in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands
and has a population of 24,321 as of 2003. It belongs to the historical land
of Bohemia
.
was discovered in the area, the Bohemia
n nobleman Smil of Lichtenburk (Lichtenburg) invited German
miners to settle the area; Brod received its city rights in 1257. Although the townspeople were German-speakers in a predominantly Czech-speaking land, the people of Brod became loyal subjects of the Bohemian crown. In the 13th and 14th centuries it was a center for silver mining, although its importance gradually declined in the latter century. Because the German townspeople supported King Sigismund
during the Hussite Wars
, Brod was sacked on 22 January 1422 by Jan Žižka
. The town was resettled in 1429 and experienced a cultural flowering during the 16th and 17th centuries. Brod was industrialized during the 19th century with an emphasis on textiles, and became an important railway junction.
After the World War II
, the town's German population was expelled in 1945 and it received the name Havlíčkův Brod. In the late 1980s Brod's center was declared a national treasure.
word Brod means "ford" in English
. Because the town was originally founded by Smil of Lichtenburk, Brod's original name was Smilův Brod (Ford of Smil or Smilford). Because of its predominantly German population, the town was renamed in 1310 to Německý Brod in Czech and Deutschbrod in German
(both meaning German Ford). After the expulsion of the Germans in 1945, the town was officially renamed Havlíčkův Brod (Ford of Havlíček) in honor of the 19th century writer Karel Havlíček Borovský
.
with: Brielle
, Netherlands
, since 1985 Brixen
, Italy
, since 1992 Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia
, since 1995
Vysocina Region
Vysočina Region , is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located partly in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia and partly in the south-west of the historical region of Moravia...
of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It is also the capital of the Havlíčkův Brod district
Havlíckuv Brod District
Havlíčkův Brod District is a district within Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic...
. It is located on the Sázava River
Sázava River
Sázava is a river in the Czech Republic. It is a right tributary of the Vltava. Its length is , watershed area measures . The river Sázava emerges from Velké Dářko Lake and enters the Vltava in the municipality of Davle south of Prague ....
in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands
Bohemian-Moravian Highlands
The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands is an extensive range of hills and low mountains over long, which runs in a northeasterly direction across the Czech Republic and forms the border between Bohemia and Moravia...
and has a population of 24,321 as of 2003. It belongs to the historical land
Czech lands
Czech lands is an auxiliary term used mainly to describe the combination of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia. Today, those three historic provinces compose the Czech Republic. The Czech lands had been settled by the Celts , then later by various Germanic tribes until the beginning of 7th...
of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
.
History
Settlement in Brod has been documented as far back as the 12th century. After silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
was discovered in the area, the Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n nobleman Smil of Lichtenburk (Lichtenburg) invited German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
miners to settle the area; Brod received its city rights in 1257. Although the townspeople were German-speakers in a predominantly Czech-speaking land, the people of Brod became loyal subjects of the Bohemian crown. In the 13th and 14th centuries it was a center for silver mining, although its importance gradually declined in the latter century. Because the German townspeople supported King Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
during the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
, Brod was sacked on 22 January 1422 by Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha , Czech general and Hussite leader, follower of Jan Hus, was born at small village Trocnov in Bohemia, into a gentried family. He was nicknamed "One-eyed Žižka"...
. The town was resettled in 1429 and experienced a cultural flowering during the 16th and 17th centuries. Brod was industrialized during the 19th century with an emphasis on textiles, and became an important railway junction.
After the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town's German population was expelled in 1945 and it received the name Havlíčkův Brod. In the late 1980s Brod's center was declared a national treasure.
Havlíčkův Brod today
- From the city's main plaza a skeleton is readily visible at the top of the town hall's tower.
- The city contains both a medical hospital and a mental hospital.
- The city lies near D1 motorway, the main road between the largest Czech cities, PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
.
Names
The CzechCzech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
word Brod means "ford" in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Because the town was originally founded by Smil of Lichtenburk, Brod's original name was Smilův Brod (Ford of Smil or Smilford). Because of its predominantly German population, the town was renamed in 1310 to Německý Brod in Czech and Deutschbrod in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(both meaning German Ford). After the expulsion of the Germans in 1945, the town was officially renamed Havlíčkův Brod (Ford of Havlíček) in honor of the 19th century writer Karel Havlíček Borovský
Karel Havlícek Borovský
Karel Havlíček Borovský was a Czech writer, poet, critic, politician, journalist, and publisher. He lived and studied at the Gymnasium in Německý Brod , and his house on the main square is today the Havlíček Museum...
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Brod is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Brielle
Brielle
Brielle , also called Den Briel is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the north side of the island of Voorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The municipality covers an area of 31.12 km² of which 3.63 km² is water...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, since 1985 Brixen
Brixen
Brixen is the name of two cities in the Alps:*Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy*Brixen im Thale, Tyrol, AustriaBrixen may also refer to:*Bishopric of Brixen, the former north-Italian state....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1992 Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, since 1995
People
- Pipo of OzoraPipo of OzoraPipo of Ozora was an Italian condottiero, general, strategist...
- Johann StamitzJohann StamitzJan Václav Antonín Stamic was a Czech composer and violinist. Johann was the father of Carl Stamitz and Anton Stamitz, also composers...
- Vladislav VančuraVladislav VancuraVladislav Vančura was one of the most important Bohemian writers of the 20th century...
- Jan ZrzavýJan ZrzavýJan Zrzavý was a leading Czech painter, graphic artist, and illustrator of the 20th century.-Biography:He was born in Okrouhlice near Německý Brod in Bohemia . He studied privately in Prague and then attended the UMPRUM there for 2 years starting in 1907, before being expelled...
- Karel Havlíček BorovskýKarel Havlícek BorovskýKarel Havlíček Borovský was a Czech writer, poet, critic, politician, journalist, and publisher. He lived and studied at the Gymnasium in Německý Brod , and his house on the main square is today the Havlíček Museum...
- Josef DobrovskýJosef DobrovskýJosef Dobrovský was a Bohemian philologist and historian, one of the most important figures of the Czech national revival.- Life & Work :...
- Karel BarvitiusKarel BarvitiusKarel Josef Barvitius was publisher of books and music.After studies of law he tried a career as a composer. In 1897 he set up a shop with musical instruments and in 1914 added music and book publishing. Published works were known for both high quality and low price...
- František JanákFrantišek JanákFrantišek Janák is a Czech glass artist. He creates glass sculptures and commission works, and also does series production design for different Czech glassworks....
- Josef MarhaJosef MarhaJosef Marha is a Czech professional ice hockey player who currently plays in Switzerland's Nationalliga A for HC Davos.Marha played in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Chicago Blackhawks, playing 159 regular season games goals 21 goals and 32...
- Bedřich SmetanaBedrich SmetanaBedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
- Josef VašíčekJosef VasicekJosef Vašíček was a Czech professional ice hockey player. Vasicek last played for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League and died when the team's aircraft charter crashed on September 7, 2011...
- Radek MartínekRadek MartinekRadek Martínek is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
- Jan František BeckovskýJan František BeckovskýJan František Beckovský , was a Czech historian, writer, translator, and priest.- Life :Beckovsky was born and studied in Havlíčkův Brod, Brno, Vienna and Prague. In 1685 he entered the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star religious order, in 1688 he was ordained as a priest...
- Jan SuchýJan SuchyJan Suchý was an ice hockey player from Havlíčkův Brod, Czechoslovakia. He was sometimes referred to as the "European Bobby Orr."...
- Petr Zelenka (serial killer)Petr Zelenka (serial killer)Petr Zelenka is a Czech serial killer. Zelenka, a nurse in Havlíčkův Brod, southeast of Prague, murdered seven patients by lethal injection, and attempted to kill 10 others between May and December, 2006. He killed with a hidden vial of heparin — a blood-thinning drug causing internal bleeding...
- Vilém Kurz, Sr.
- Vilém KurzVilém KurzVilém Kurz was a Czech pianist and piano teacher, a professor at the State Conservatory in Lwów and Vienna, and Prague Conservatory...
- Jiří HolíkJirí HolíkJiří Holík is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. He played for Dukla Jihlava...
- Jaroslav HolíkJaroslav HolíkJaroslav Holík is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga for Dukla Jihlava. He won a bronze medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo...
- Jan Novák (ice hockey)Jan Novák (ice hockey)Jan Novák is a Czech professional ice hockey player. He has spent nine seasons with HC Slavia Prague in the Czech Extraliga between 1997 and 2006 and won the championship in 2003. Novák moved to the Russian Super League in 2006 and played one season for Aq Bars Kazan...
- Ludvík ČelanskýLudvík CelanskýLudvík Vítězslav Čelanský was a Czech conductor and composer. He was founder and first principal conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.- Biography :...
- Antonín DušekAntonín DušekAntonín Dušek is a Czech professional ice hockey player. He plays forward for HC Liberec in the Czech Extraliga....
- Ladislav Kriz