Dvůr Králové nad Labem

Dvůr Králové nad Labem (Czech pronunciation: [ˈdvuːr ˈkraːlovɛː ˈnad labɛm], German: Königinhof an der Elbe) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. It lies in the Elbe river valley. It is located in the Eastern Bohemia close to the Czech highest mountains Krkonoše.

Dvůr Králové nad Labem
Town
Aerial view
Flag
Coat of arms
Etymology: Queen consort's court on the Elbe
Dvůr Králové nad Labem
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°25′59″N 15°48′44″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionHradec Králové
DistrictTrutnov
First mentioned1270
Government
 • MayorJan Jarolím (ANO)
Area
 • Total35.82 km2 (13.83 sq mi)
Elevation
298 m (978 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total15,550
 • Density430/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
544 01, 544 04
Websitewww.mudk.cz

History

Dvůr Králové was first mentioned in 1270. It was a dowry town, owned by the King's wife and responsible for her expenses when her husband died. Until 1918, the town was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), head of the Königshof an der Elbe – Dvůr Králové nad Labem District, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[2]

Textile industry

Dvůr Králové allowed Jews to settle there in 1848. Various Jewish families arrived in the early 1860s and began developing a local textile industry (the soft water of the Elbe was essential for the dying and printing for the textile industry). By 1930 there were some 200 to 300 Jews living in the town. The textile industry had grown to some 17 textile firms (Sohorts, Neuman, Mautner, Deutsch etc.) By the end of 1945 there were no Jews left in the town.

Manuscript affair

On 16 September 1817 Václav Hanka allegedly discovered a manuscript appearing to be from the 13th century in the tower of a local church. The Manuscript of Dvůr Kralové, probably in fact created by Hanka, was intended to help Czech patriots in the struggle against German culture. It was proven to be a forgery at the end of the 19th century by Professor Tomáš Masaryk and confirmed as such by later examinations.[3] A minority of historians still consider it genuine.

Economy

Dvůr Králové nad Labem is a centre of the textile and machinery industries.

Sights

Safari Park Dvůr Králové with its African safari theme lies near the town. Visitors may admire over 2,000 animals of 500 species of mostly African hoofstock which makes this zoo one of the largest in Europe. As one of the most successful breeders of many endangered species, it is of note that within the last 30 years more than 200 giraffes were born there.

Notable is the Church of Saint John the Baptist, which is a national monument.

In the town part of Žireč there is an old residence of the Jesuits.

Notable people

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

Dvůr Králové nad Labem is twinned with:[4]

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 30 April 2020.
  2. Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
  3. "Rukopisy Kralovedvorsky a Zelenohorsky". Archived from the original on 5 February 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2005.
  4. "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Dvůr Králové nad Labem. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.