Litoměřice

Litoměřice
Town
Cathedral of St. Stephen with belfry.
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Ústí nad Labem
District	Litoměřice
Commune	Litoměřice
River	Elbe, Ohře
Elevation	136 m (446 ft)
Coordinates	50°32′3″N 14°7′58″E
Area	17.99 km2 (6.95 sq mi)
Population	25,517 (2006-10-02)
Density	1,418 / km2 (3,673 / sq mi)
Founded around	10th century
- Royal status	1219
Mayor	Ladislav Chlupáč
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	412 01
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Litoměřice
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.litomerice.cz/

Litoměřice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɪtomɲɛr̝ɪtsɛ]; German: Leitmeritz) is a town at the junction of the rivers Elbe (Czech: Labe) and Ohře (German: Eger) in the north part of the Czech Republic, approximately 64 km (39,7 mi) northwest of Prague.

The area within the Ústí nad Labem Region is called Garden of Bohemia thanks to mild weather conditions important for growing fruits and grapes. During the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many pensionists chose it over more southern areas of the Empire.

History

Litoměřice as seen from the Radobýl Hill.

One of the oldest Czech towns, Litoměřice was established in the 10th century on the site of an early medieval Slavic fort. A royal-town statute was granted in 1219. From the 12th to the 17th century it was a significant trading center in the Holy Roman Empire. The German population suffered during the 15th century Hussite Wars. After the Protestant insurrection that triggered the Thirty Years' War and the Protestants' defeat in the Battle of White Mountain, the population of the city had to accept Catholicism or leave the town, which became a bishop's residency in 1655. As a result, the Czech population shrank and the town became largely Germanized.^{[citation needed]}

After the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved in late 1918, the areas along the border with Germany, where a majority of the former Austrian citizens spoke German language, tried to join German Austria (which in turn aimed to join Germany), but Czechoslovak troops prevented this. In 1919, all of Bohemia and Moravia was put under the Czechoslovak rule by the Treaty of St. Germain, including the large area stretching around central Bohemia and Moravia. Known as Sudetenland, the region became the subject of political controversy in the following years. Slavs settled there again, but remained a minority. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, German troops occupied the Sudetenland. The Czech population, which had grown to about 5,000 people, had to leave again.

Main square

Occupation, 1938

In the final stages of World War II, German troops retreated to escape the advancing Red Army. The Czech resistance took control of the castle on 27 April 1945, and after a few days they started negotiations with the German commander about the terms of his surrender. The Wehrmacht capitulated in the night after 8 May, but German troops fled on 9 May, just before Soviet troops entered the town on 10 May 1945. Most of the German population of the town was expelled by the Beneš decrees in August 1945, along with about 2.5 million other Czechoslovak citizens of German ethnicity.

Sights

Main Square with the Town Hall.

There are several main sights already visible when approaching Litoměřice. St. Stephen's cathedral at the Dome Square (Dómské náměstí) was built in 1664-1668 at the place of roman basilica. The interior is almost completely authentic with main and six side altars and a lot of original paintings. Right next to the dome is a Bishop Residency built in 1683-1701 by Giulio Broggio. On the main square there is All-Saints Church and within distance there is an Annunciation (Lady Day) Church, another masterpiece built by the son of Giulio Broggio, Octavio. The old town hall (now city museum) and Black Eagle House (Dům u černého orla) on the main square are also worthy a look. The symbol of the city is a chalice, since the watchout tower on the Town Hall has this shape. There are numerous cellars connected by an extensive web of underground ways under the town. In some places the cellars were built in three floors. The ways are about three kilometers long and they belong to one of the longest in the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, only 336 meters of these underground ways are open to the public. You can notice the ancient town wall when entering the town. The original town wall was built in the Gothic style. Northern Bohemian Gallery of Creative Arts (SGVU) is based close the main square. Extensive collection spans from 13th century to contemporary art with numerous other exhibitions during the year.

Population

• 1 December 1930 : 18,498
• 17 May 1939: 17,267
• 22 May 1947: 14,402
• 2 June 2004: 25,517

Notables

• The greatest representative of Czech romanticism, Karel Hynek Mácha, died in Litoměřice, shortly after he had moved to the town, and was buried there. Later his grave was moved to Prague where he is buried now at the Vyšehrad cemetery.
• Josef Jungmann, creator of the modern Czech language, lived and taught here from 1799 to 1815.
• Štěpán Cardinal Trochta was a bishop of Litoměřice from 1947.
• The Master of the Litoměřice Altarpiece received his name from this town.
• Karel Pejml, co-founder of modern historical climatology, lived here from 1978 to 1989.
• Ferdinand Blumentritt, teacher, historian, ethnologist and close friend of the Philippine national hero José Rizal, lived and taught here 1877 - 1913.
• Josef Rudolf Zavrtal, composer and conductor.
• Alfred Kubin, Austrian expressionist and illustrator was born in Litoměřice in 1877.
• Miroslav Vurma, lecturer in Japan, born in Litoměřice in 1953.

There are several successful sportsmen who were born, lived or are living in Litoměřice, among other olympic medalists, world champions or Stanley Cup winners:

• Květa Jeriová-Pecková, triple olympic medalist, Cross-country skiing
• Zdeněk Pecka, double olympic medalist, quadruple and double sculls crew member
• Martin Škoula, a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.
• Luděk Štyks, quadruple national road cycling champion born in Litoměřice in 1961

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Twin towns — Sister cities

Litoměřice is twinned with:

• Calamba City, Philippines (1974)
• Meissen, Germany (1996)
• Fulda, Germany (2001)
• Dapitan, Philippines (2006)
• Armentieres, France

External links

• Litoměřice at the official website of the Czech Republic www.czech.cz
• Official website (Czech)
• Official website (German)
• Official website (English)
• Crystal Touch Museum