Roudnice nad Labem

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Roudnice nad Labem
Town
Church of the Nativity of Virgin Mary
Flag
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region Ústí nad Labem
District Litoměřice
Commune Roudnice nad Labem
River Elbe
Elevation 195 m (640 ft)
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area 16.67 km2 (6.44 sq mi)
Population 13,263 (2006-07-03)
Density 796 / km2 (2,062 / sq mi)
First mentioned 1167
Mayor Vladimír Urban
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 413 01
Location in the Czech Republic
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Roudnice nad Labem
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.roudnicenl.cz

Roudnice nad Labem (Czech pronunciation: [ˈrou̯dɲɪtsɛ ˈnad labɛm]; German: Raudnitz an der Elbe) is a town on the left bank of the Elbe River (Czech: Labe). It has a population of approximately 13 500 and covers an area of 16,67 km². The town is situated near the site of Říp, notable for its connection with the legend of Praotec Čech.

A steel road bridge dating from the early 20th century spans the Elbe in Roudnice nad Labem. Its medieval predecessor was the third oldest stone bridge in Bohemia (after Prague and Písek) and the first bridge to connect both banks of the river. Roudnice nad Labem features a castle of late Romanesque origin, now reconstructed in Baroque architectural style.

Civic amenities include a post office, hospital, several shopping centres, schools, pharmacies, public and municipal libraries, cinema, swimming pool, ice hockey arena, football stadium and athletic stadium. The Roudnice airport is located near the southwestern edge of the city and hosts the Memorial Air Show every other year.

History

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Roudnice nad Labem has a very long and rich history. It is one of the oldest Czech towns; the original name Rúdnik / Rúdnica comes from the red-colored water of a nearby spring. The first appearances of the city in written records are dated to 1167 and 1176, but the first signs of settlement are from the prehistoric ages.

Roudnice nad Labem received a statute as a city near the end of the 12th century. In the same period a Romanesque castle was built, becoming the second private building made of stone in Bohemia. In 1333, bishop Jan IV ordered that a bridge be built over the Elbe. It was the first stone bridge over the Elbe and the third stone bridge in Bohemia. At the end of the 14th century, the New City of Roudnice nad Labem (today Jan of Dražice Square and Husovo Square) was built and, along with the Old City of Roudnice nad Labem, surrounded by walls. In the 15th century, during the Hussite wars, the city was the target of several Hussite raids. The city was conquered by Jan Žižka in 1421, by Jan Roháč of Dubá in 1425, and by Václav Carda of Petrovice in 1428. After the Hussite wars, the city was sold several times; finally becoming the property of Zdeněk Václav Popel of Lobkowicz in 1603. During his rule, the city was rebuilt and expanded. During the Thirty Years' War, the city of Roudnice nad Labem was burned down and demolished by the Swedish army in 1634 and 1639

In the 19th century, Roudnice nad Labem became the industrial and economical centre of the Podřipský region, due to several new factories and the railway from Prague to Dresden. Until 1918, ROUDNICE - RAUDNITZ was part of the Austrian monarchy (after the compromise of 1867), in the district of the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[1] A post-office was opened in September 1850, named RAUDNITZ.[2] In 1910, the old stone bridge was rebuilt into a new steel road bridge.

Castle in Roudnice nad Labem

Roudnice Castle was built in the 12th century by Bishop Jindřich Břetislav, the nephew of the Czech king Vladislav I, to protected an important trade route from Prague to Upper Lusatia along the Elbe. The castle complex included several farm buildings, protected by a fortified wall; the castle itself had walls that were two meters thick, and watch towers in each corner. In the mid-14th century, it was rebuilt in a Gothic style and became a favorite summer residence for Prague bishops. It is said that Jan Hus was ordained as a priest there.

In 1421, the Catholic Church sold the castle to Jan Smiřický, who renovated it once again. George of Poděbrady, king of Bohemia (1420-1477), captured Roudnice from Smiřický in 1467. It passed into the ownership of William Rožumberk (1535-1592), the Supreme Burgrave and one of the wealthiest men in Bohemia. After Rožumberk’s death, his widow Polyxena Pernštejn (1566-1642) married Zdenek Vojtěch of Lobkowicz, Chancellor of the Czech Kingdom and later 1st Prince Lobkowicz, bringing Roudnice into the Lobkowicz family’s possessions. In 1652 their son Václav Eusebius, 2nd Prince Lobkowicz (1609-1677), embarked upon an ambitious project to transform the castle into an early baroque palace.

Palace in Roudnice nad Labem

Václav Eusebius of Lobkowicz hired two Italian architects, Francesco Caratti and Antonio della Porta, to completely renovate Roudnice Castle. Between 1652 and 1684, they demolished most of the original structure, creating a 200-room baroque residence that included a clock tower, a chapel decorated with elaborate frescoes, a theater, and large formal gardens. For two and a half centuries Roudnice served as a repository for the Lobkowicz family's collections of artwork, religious objects, musical instruments, and books and manuscripts.

The palace was confiscated by the Communist government in 1948; the Czechoslovak People´s Army used the building for the military music school Vít Nejedlý, as well as for administrative offices. After 1989, the palace was restored to the Lobkowicz family, who continued to rent the palace to Vít Nejedlý until the school closed in 2008. In 2009 the palace underwent major renovations, and it was opened to the public in 2012.

People

Education

Primary schools

  • Karel Jeřábek Primary school[3]
  • Primary school Jungmannova[4]
  • Primary school Školní[5]

High schools (Secondary schools)

  • Podřipská private vocational school and training center[6]
  • Grammar school (Gymnasium)[7]
  • Vocational school and training center
  • College and vocational school[8]
  • Commercial Academy and vocational school EKONOM[9]

College

  • College and vocational school[10]

Gallery

  • Roudnice, zvonice a kostel, z hlásky.jpg

    Belfry and church as seen from the watch tower

  • Roudnice nad Labem-most.jpg

    Bridge over the Elbe

  • Roudnice Castle

  • Roudnice nad Labem, Karlovo náměstí (01).jpg

    Houses in Charles Square

References

  1. ↑ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm KLEIN, 1967
  2. ↑ Handbook of Austria and Lombardy-Venetia Cancellations on the Postage Stamp Issues 1850-1864, by Edwin MUELLER, 1961.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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