Havlíčkův Brod

The Czech word Brod means "ford" in English. The settlement became a town in the mid 13th century and for distinction from another places of the same name it was firstly named Smilův Brod ("Smil's Ford") after its founder Smil of Lichtenburk. However, later it became called Německý Brod ("German Ford", German: Deutschbrod) because of its predominantly German population, and as the opposite of Český Brod ("Czech Ford") near Prague. The Germans made up most of the population of the town since 13th until the first half of 15th century. Because of Anti-German sentiment after World War II, the town was renamed Havlíčkův Brod ("Havlíček's Ford") in honor of the 19th century writer and publicist Karel Havlíček Borovský, who was born in nearby village and grew up and studied in the town. It is one of very few examples of personal honorification in Czech toponymy. The rather long official name is commonly abbreviated HB, or colloquially Havlbrod or just Brod (when there's no need to distinguish).

Settlement in Brod has been documented as far back as the 12th century. After silver was discovered in the area, the Bohemian nobleman Smil of Lichtenburk (Lichtenburg) invited German miners to settle the area; Brod received its town rights in 1274. 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 by predominantly Czech-speaking population in 1429 and experienced a cultural flowering during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since 1429 the majority of the town's population was ethnically Czech. Until 1918, the town was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), head of the Deutschbrod – Německý Brod District, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[3]

Brod was industrialized during the 19th century with an emphasis on textiles. Railway came here in 1870 and the station later became an important hub.

After the World War II, the town was renamed Havlíčkův Brod.

From the town's main plaza a skeleton is readily visible at the top of the town hall's tower. The town contains both a medical hospital and a mental hospital.

Havlíčkův Brod is both road and railway hub. There are five rail lines leading off the main station: to Kolín and Prague (operating since 1870), to Pardubice (1871), to Brno (1898), to Jihlava (1871) and a local line to Humpolec (1894). Historically, the main line running through the town was Vienna-Znojmo-Jihlava-Kolín, but after WWII the line to Brno was rebuilt, made double-track and electrified, and Praha-HB-Brno became one of main passenger and freight train routes in Czechoslovakia. Though at the break of 20th and 21st centuries its importance dropped, as all international expresses were transferred to the 1st National Railway Transit Corridor (via Česká Třebová), it is still a relevant alternative route.

The town is also a crossing of two major Czech roads, No. 34 from České Budějovice to Svitavy and No. 38 from Mladá Boleslav to Jihlava and Znojmo (and on to Vienna). The D1 motorway Praha-Brno is accessible by both of these roads (exits are about 20 km from HB).

The town centre is historically significant and since 1990 is protected by law as Urban monument zone.

Havlíčkův Brod is twinned with:[4]

• Brielle, Netherlands (1985)
• Brixen, Italy (1992)
• Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia (1995)

• Battle of Deutschbrod
• Havlíčkův Brod Airport
• Havlíčkův Brod District

• (in Czech) Official website

Media related to Havlíčkův Brod at Wikimedia Commons