Hořovice
Hořovice | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Town Hall and church of the Holy Trinity | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Hořovice Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates: 49°50′10″N 13°54′18″E / 49.83611°N 13.90500°E | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Central Bohemian |
| District | Beroun |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jiří Peřina |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.55 km2 (3.69 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 375 m (1,230 ft) |
| Population (2020-01-01[1]) | |
| • Total | 6,901 |
| • Density | 720/km2 (1,900/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 268 01 |
| Website | www |
Hořovice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɦor̝ovɪtsɛ]; German: Horschowitz, Horvitz or Horowitz, Hebrew: הורוביץ Horowitz, Yiddish: הורוויץ Hurvitz) is a town in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,900 inhabitants. It is the administrative and economical center of the surrounding area.
History
Archaeological excavations show early settlement in the 10th century. This settlement grew at the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th century when a trading post was established. This trading post was later rebuilt and expanded into a castle in the Gothic style (the so-called "Old Castle").
The family of Hořovice named itself after the village. The first members to use the name were siblings Neostup and Habart Hořovice in 1233.
The village was incorporated as a town in 1322. The "Old Castle" and the church remained outside of the town walls, forming the borough of Velká Víska. This division remained until the 20th century; in 1919 Velká Víska became a part of Hořovice.
Jewish Legacy
One of the most worldwide spread Jewish surname Horovitz/Horowitz/Gurvich/Hurwicz/Hurwitz/Horvitz, etc., originates from the town of Hořovice, which during the late Middle Ages had one of the most substantial Jewish populations in the Bohemian Kingdom and rabbis and communal leaders such Isaiah Horowitz or Shabtai Sheftel Horowitz traced their lineage from this town.[2] [3][4][5]
Tourism
The town is surrounded by many historical and natural sights, including Brdy, Křivoklátsko and Bohemian Karst (Český kras). Its most known building is Hořovice Castle.
Music Without Musicians is a museum that is situated in Hořovice Castle. It focuses on mechanical music instruments.[6]
Notable people
- Josel of Rosheim (1480–1554), advocate of the German Jews, lived here
- Josef Labor (1842–1924), musician
- Alfred Seifert (1850–1901), Czech-German painter
- Otto Hönigschmid (1878–1945), chemist
- Jiří Fischer (born 1980), hockey player
- Petr Koukal (born 1985), badminton player
Twin towns – sister cities
Gau-Algesheim, Germany
References
- ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
- ^ web|url=http://shlomo.horwitzfam.org/Origin_of_Horowitz_Name.htm
- ^ https://www.jewishgen.org/rabbinic/infofiles/famous_surnames.htm
- ^ http://www.horowitzassociation.org/
- ^ http://www.4crests.com/horvitz-coat-of-arms.html
- ^ Rodinné výlety, Hudba bez hudebníků – hrací strojky a hudební automaty
- ^ "Spolupráce s partnerským městem Gau-Algesheim" (in Czech). Město Hořovice. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
External links
- (in Czech, German, and English) Official website
