Turnov

Turnov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈturnof]; German: Turnau) is a town in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,500 inhabitants. It lies on the Jizera River. Turnov is a traditional center for gemstone polishing, glass craftsmanship and arts.

Not to be confused with Trutnov.
Turnov
Town
Town square
Flag
Coat of arms
Turnov
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°35′14″N 15°9′25″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionLiberec
DistrictSemily
First mentioned1238
Government
 • MayorTomáš Hocke
Area
 • Total22.73 km2 (8.78 sq mi)
Elevation
260 m (850 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total14,420
 • Density630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
511 01
Websitewww.turnov.cz

Turnov lies in the heart of the Bohemian Paradise nature reserve which makes it a place for tourists and summer residents. The town is also an important traffic crossroads of three railways and the Prague–Liberec highway. Turnov has a large museum (finalist in European museums competition), three galleries, six churches and a synagogue. The small old town of Middle Ages urbanism is surrounded by modern garden neighbourhoods and large parks representing an organic connection between urban areas and nature.

History

Turnov was founded as a Bohemian town in 1272 by Jaroslav and Havel of Markvartice on a spur of rock overlooking the Jizera River. A Dominican cloister was founded by Saint Zdislava, wife of Sir Havel. During the Middle Ages, Turnov came into the possession of the Wartenberg and Smiřický noble houses. The medieval town was frequently vulnerable to fires – it was burnt by Lusatian crusaders in 1468 and during the Thirty Years' War by Swedes in 1643, as well as a conflagration in 1707. The first European technical school for the processing of gemstones, metals, and jewelry was founded in Turnov in 1882 and still exists as one of the best schools of this type in the world.

Its Renaissance town hall dates from 1562, while its three historical churches date from throughout the 14th–19th centuries. In a suburb lies the Hrubý Rohozec castle, built in 1250 and later reconstructed into a château; today it is admissible to the public. The municipality itself is now the owner of the Valdštejn Castle, the cradle of the famous Wallenstein family, which is also open for tourists.

Turnov has long been known for its expertise with gemstones. It attracted many medieval craftsmen and artisans who produced jewelry out the local Bohemian garnet. Its Museum of the Bohemian Paradise has a significant collection of gemstones and jewelry, as well as exhibits on geology, archaeology, and folklore.

Jewish settlement

The Turnov Jewish community is of Middle Ages origin. The relationship between Jews and Christians here was not bad thus there was no strict urban separation (ghetto). The community spoke Czech and has had its own rabbi until 1916. After the Shoah there were only small number of people practicing religion left and the synagogue was not used. Today, the number of people of Jewish origin is relatively high in the region but only few are practicing religion. Between 1950 and 2006 the synagogue has been used as a warehouse and will be restored to become a concert place and a memorial. The old Jewish cemetery is in a relatively good condition.

Historical population
  • 1869: 6,849
  • 1900: 9,028
  • 1930: 11,541
  • 1950: 11,268
  • 2001: 14,513
  • 2019: 14,334

Notable people
  • Antonín Marek (1785–1877), priest, poet and translator
  • Čeněk Paclt (1813–1887), traveller and writer
  • Jan Prousek (1857–1914), painter and ethnographist
  • Josef Pekař (1870–1937), historian
  • František Xaver Drozen (1898–1972), violin-maker
  • Jan Patočka (1907–1977), philosopher
  • Alexandr Kliment (1929–2017), novelist
  • Jan Farský (born 1979), politician
  • Roman Koudelka (born 1989), ski jumper
  • Adam Helcelet (born 1991), athlete, competes in decathlon

Mayors
  • 1989–1998: Václav Šolc
  • 1998–2006: Milan Hejduk
  • 2006–2012: Hana Maierová
  • Since 2012: Tomáš Hocke

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

Turnov is twinned with:[2]

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  2. "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Turnov. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
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