Domažlice
Encyclopedia
Domažlice (ˈdomaʒlɪtsɛ; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region
of the Czech Republic
.
Domažlice is also a Municipality with Extended Competence and a Municipality with Commissioned Local Authority within the same borders.
. It would remain fortified from 1262 to 1265. Border guards were recruited from the Chodové
(Slavic free farmers) who settled in the vicinity of Domažlice.
The city was mortgaged to Bavaria in 1331, lasting until 1419 (with some interruptions). Under Hussite
rule, German citizens were expelled from the city, and since then, the population is predominantly Czech. In 1431, Prokop the Bald
defeated the crusaders of the Holy Roman Empire
near Domažlice. The 15th and 16th century saw Domažlice change hands frequently, but its importance diminished following the end of the Thirty Years' War
. It was not until 1770 that it recovered, largely due to innovations in the textile industry.
Within the context of the Czech National Revival
, Domažlice became a central place during the 19th century. At the time, it was the most western ethnic Czech town, very close to the border with the Kingdom of Bavaria
. In the city, a pilgrimage
took place on August 13, 1939, which developed into a large Czech protest demonstration against the German occupation and control of the ethnic Czech
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
.
In 2005 a mass grave of 54 Germans
, mainly members of local SA
, executed by Czech resistance after the end of the war around May 8, 1945, was discovered at the outskirts of the town.
(Germany
) Furth bei Göttweig
(Austria
) Ludres
(France
)
Plzen Region
Plzeň Region is an administrative unit in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň .- Communes :...
of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Domažlice is also a Municipality with Extended Competence and a Municipality with Commissioned Local Authority within the same borders.
History
Domažlice was first recorded as a town in 1231. Přemysl Otakar II of Bohemia ordered the city to be fortified for the purpose of protecting the border with BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. It would remain fortified from 1262 to 1265. Border guards were recruited from the Chodové
Chodové
The Chodové were a group of people in Bohemia, mainly in the surroundings of Domažlice, Tachov and Přimda. They were displaced from one of the Polish regions to guard the borders between Bohemia and Bavaria. They were direct servants of the king with significant privileges that differentiated...
(Slavic free farmers) who settled in the vicinity of Domažlice.
The city was mortgaged to Bavaria in 1331, lasting until 1419 (with some interruptions). Under Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
rule, German citizens were expelled from the city, and since then, the population is predominantly Czech. In 1431, Prokop the Bald
Prokop the Great
Prokop or Prokop the Great was one of the most prominent Hussite generals of the Hussite Wars...
defeated the crusaders of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
near Domažlice. The 15th and 16th century saw Domažlice change hands frequently, but its importance diminished following the end of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. It was not until 1770 that it recovered, largely due to innovations in the textile industry.
Within the context of the Czech National Revival
Czech National Revival
Czech National Revival was a cultural movement, which took part in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th century. The purpose of this movement was to revive Czech language, culture and national identity...
, Domažlice became a central place during the 19th century. At the time, it was the most western ethnic Czech town, very close to the border with the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
. In the city, a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
took place on August 13, 1939, which developed into a large Czech protest demonstration against the German occupation and control of the ethnic Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
.
In 2005 a mass grave of 54 Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, mainly members of local SA
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, executed by Czech resistance after the end of the war around May 8, 1945, was discovered at the outskirts of the town.
City partnerships
Furth im WaldFurth im Wald
Furth im Wald is a town in the District of Cham, in Bavaria, Germany, near the Czech border. It is situated in the Bavarian Forest, 16 km northeast of Cham, and 17 km southwest of Domažlice....
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) Furth bei Göttweig
Furth bei Göttweig
Furth bei Göttweig is a town in the district of Krems-Land in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
(Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) Ludres
Ludres
Ludres is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Ludréens. In the past, inhabitants of Ludres were known by their neighbours as rôtisseurs , having once turned out en masse to watch their adulterous priest burned at the stake.-External...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)
External links
- http://www.domazlice.info - Official site of Domažlice
- Domažlice (en)
- http://www.idomazlice.cz - Information service of Domazlice