Jindřichův Hradec

Jindřichův Hradec ([ˈjɪndr̝ɪxuːf ˈɦradɛts] (listen); German: Neuhaus) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has approximately 21,500 inhabitants and is the capital of the Jindřichův Hradec District.

Jindřichův Hradec
Town
Peace Square with the Holy Trinity Column
Flag
Coat of arms
Jindřichův Hradec
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°8′39″N 15°0′11″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Bohemian
DistrictJindřichův Hradec
First mentioned1220
Government
 • MayorJan Mlčák
Area
 • Total74.27 km2 (28.68 sq mi)
Elevation
475 m (1,558 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total21,419
 • Density290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
377 01
Websitewww.jh.cz

History

The first written mention of the town is from 1220. Before that, it was probably a Slavic settlement. At the end of the 12th century more people arrived. At the beginning of the 13th century a Gothic castle was built (it was gradually rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau in the 16th century). In the census following the Thirty Years' War, Jindřichův Hradec was the second largest town in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Between 1831 and 1935 it was the first town in the area to get electricity for lighting, in 1888 the water mill was converted to electricity.

Sights

The town castle and palace is the third largest in the country after those in Prague and Český Krumlov. It covers 3 hectares (7.4 acres) and contains 320 rooms. More than 10,000 works of art and a similar number of books may be found there.

The district museum, which is in a Renaissance building that was once the Jesuit seminary appeared in the town in 1882 and is one of the oldest regional museums in Bohemia. The most well-known item in the museum is the Kryza, the largest mechanical Christmas manger scene in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

  • Preserved Jewish Cemetery (dates back from 15th century)
  • The Church of Ascension
  • The Chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene
  • The Church of Saint John the Baptist with the nearby building that once housed minorite monks and was later an infirmary
  • The Church of the Most Holy Trinity
  • The Church of Saint Catherine
  • The Church of Saint James
  • The Church of Saint Wenceslas
  • Houses in the marketplace (Friendensplatz) with the pristine Gothic town hall

Notable people

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

Jindřichův Hradec is twinned with:[2]

Trivia
  • Asteroid 21873 Jindřichůvhradec is named in honour of the town.
  • Gymnasium, today known as Gymnázium Vitězslava Nováka was founded in 1595, making it one of the oldest non-university schools in Central Europe.

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  2. "Partnerská města - Město Jindřichův Hradec" (in Czech). Město Jindřichův Hradec. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
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