Nový Bydžov

Nový Bydžov
Nový Bydžov
Town
	Town hall
	Flag Coat of arms
	Nový Bydžov Location in the Czech Republic
	Coordinates: 50°14′25″N 15°29′31″E / 50.24028°N 15.49194°E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Hradec Králové
District	Hradec Králové
Founded	1305
Government
• Mayor	Pavel Louda
Area
• Total	35.24 km2 (13.61 sq mi)
Elevation	234 m (768 ft)
Population (2019-01-01)
• Total	6,986
• Density	200/km2 (510/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	504 01
Website	www.novybydzov.cz

Nový Bydžov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈnoviː ˈbɪdʒof]; German: Neubidschow) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated near Hradec Králové and Chlumec nad Cidlinou on the river Cidlina.

History

The city was declared the royal town in 1305 by the Bohemian King Wenceslas II. In the year 1325 the King John of Luxembourg sold to the Vartemberg family. In 1516 the property passed into the hands of the Pernstein family and since 1548 it was in the holding of the Wallensteins.

In 1569 Nový Bydžov was exempt by payment from servitude and became the royal dowry town. During the years 1751–1784 it was the royal seat of the newly created Nový Bydžov region which included the Krkonoše Mountains from Vrchlabí through Jilemnice, Nová Paka, Jičín, Hořice, Nový Bydžov, Chlumec nad Cidlinou and Poděbrady as far as Sadská. In 1784 the seat of the region was transferred to Jičín due to its position, but the name of the region remained the same until 1850.

Nový Bydžov was then from 1850 until 1960 the district center. After districts had been abolished it did not cease to be the natural center of the region. Since 1987 the historical centre has been declared as the protected area of historical monuments.

Historical and cultural monuments

Gothic church of St. Lawrence (early 14th century)
Old Jewish cemetery (founded in 1520), the third largest in this country
Marian plague column at Masaryk Square (completed in 1716)
Baroque church of the Holy Trinity
Baroque church of St. James at Metličany (1768–1775)
neo-Gothic Town Hall designed by J. Píča (1862–1865).
Municipal museum in the building of the Savings Bank - a variety of exhibits (prehistory of the Nový Bydžov region, guilds, arts and crafts, the Bydžov Ark and paintings by Petr Brandl, folklore, prof. Nevyjel memorial hall and the sculptures of the naïve artist Václav Kudera-Křapík).

Notable people

Marek Bydžovský of Florentinum (1540–1612), rector of Prague University, mathematician, astronomer and historian
Josef Němec (1805–1879), husband of the writer Božena Němcová
Josef Eduard Proche (1822–1908), outstanding horticulturist
Alois Gallat (1827–1901), author of humouristic books and a journalist
Jan Malát (1843–1915), music composer and a teacher
Josef Schnitter (1852–1914), Czech–Bulgarian architect, chief architect of Plovdiv
Karel B. Mádl (1859–1932), art historian and critic
Karel Šviha (1877–1937), politician
Jan Kefer (1906–1941), astrologist