Dowry town
Encyclopedia
Dowry town is the name for a town
that has been devoted by Bohemia
n king
to his wife - the queen consort
.
This was sometimes indicated by the name of the town, as in the case of Hradec Králové
(Castle of the Queen), Dvůr Králové nad Labem
(Court of the Queen on Labe River
) or Městec Králové
(Townlet of the Queen). Other well known Czech dowry towns are: Mělník
, Chrudim
, Jaroměř
, Nový Bydžov
, Polička
, Trutnov
and Vysoké Mýto
.
All these towns had been bequeathed by Czech kings to their wives since the beginning of the 14th century. Most of them are located in Eastern Bohemia.
Historical centers of the towns are well preserved until today. From time to time cultural or sport events are organised together.
. 16th century Bohemia had around forty King's and Dowry towns. These towns were the eternal property of the monarch and couldn't be sold or used as guarantee of a debt although it happened quite often. These towns and their inhabitants had many economic and social privileges. For example, after Hussite Wars
such cities formed the Third estate
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
that has been devoted by Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
to his wife - the queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
.
This was sometimes indicated by the name of the town, as in the case of Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, and electronics manufacture. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos...
(Castle of the Queen), Dvůr Králové nad Labem
Dvur Králové nad Labem
Dvůr Králové nad Labem river valley.Dvůr Králové was first mentioned in 1270. It was a dowry town, owned by the King's wife and responsible for her expenses when her husband died. Today, it is a center of the textile and machinery industries....
(Court of the Queen on Labe River
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
) or Městec Králové
Mestec Králové
Městec Králové is a town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It is located at around .- External links :...
(Townlet of the Queen). Other well known Czech dowry towns are: Mělník
Melnik
-Places:Bulgaria* Melnik, Bulgaria, a town in Bulgaria* Shiroka Melnishka Losa, a Bulgarian wine grape also known as MelnikCzech Republic* Mělník, a townUnited States* Melnik, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community...
, Chrudim
Chrudim
Chrudim is a city in eastern Bohemia, in the Pardubice region of the Czech Republic.The oldest archaeological findings which provide first signs of the settlement in this area date back to the 5th millennium BC. Various cultures succeeded one on another in the territory of today’s town of Chrudim...
, Jaroměř
Jaromer
Jaroměř is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It is located 15 kilometers northeast of the district town of Hradec Králové. The town lies at the confluence of three rivers, notably the Mettau and the Elbe...
, Nový Bydžov
Nový Bydžov
Nový Bydžov 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:...
, Polička
Policka
Polička is a town on Bohemia-Moravia borderline in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has cca 10,000 inhabitants. It is about 17 km west of Svitavy.- History :Polička was founded in the year 1265 by Bohemian king Přemysl Otakar II...
, Trutnov
Trutnov
Trutnov is a city in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 31,239 and lies in the Krkonoše in the valley of the Úpa River....
and Vysoké Mýto
Vysoké Mýto
Vysoké Mýto is a town in the Pardubice Region, Czech Republic. Founded in 1262 by the Bohemian king, Přemysl Otakar II, it is situated near its original location, called Vraclav. Vysoké Mýto is a centre of tourism, due to its architectural monuments and the nature that surrounds it. Industrial...
.
History
- Hradec KrálovéHradec KrálovéHradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, and electronics manufacture. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos...
, ChrudimChrudimChrudim is a city in eastern Bohemia, in the Pardubice region of the Czech Republic.The oldest archaeological findings which provide first signs of the settlement in this area date back to the 5th millennium BC. Various cultures succeeded one on another in the territory of today’s town of Chrudim...
and Vysoké MýtoVysoké MýtoVysoké Mýto is a town in the Pardubice Region, Czech Republic. Founded in 1262 by the Bohemian king, Přemysl Otakar II, it is situated near its original location, called Vraclav. Vysoké Mýto is a centre of tourism, due to its architectural monuments and the nature that surrounds it. Industrial...
were given to Elisabeth RichezaElisabeth Richeza of PolandElisabeth Richenza of Poland was a daughter and the only surviving child of Przemysl II of Poland and his second wife Richenza of Sweden, herself a daughter of Valdemar I of Sweden and Sofia of Denmark.Her name at birth was Richeza; she adopted the name Elisabeth after her first marriage...
(Eliška Rejčka) by Venceslaus IIVenceslaus II of BohemiaWenceslaus II Premyslid was King of Bohemia , Duke of Cracow and King of Poland .He was the only son of King Ottokar II of Bohemia "the Great" and Ottokar's second wife Kunigunda. He was born in 1271, ten years after the marriage of his parents...
(1307? ), later Charles IVCharles IV, Holy Roman EmperorCharles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
donated them to Elizabeth of Pomerania. - Other towns were donated later, the last one being Nový BydžovNový BydžovNový Bydžov 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:...
in 1569. - Since 1603 they were administered separately from other Royal Towns.
- After Battle of the White Mountain (1621) their importance started to vanish.
- In 1918 all legal forms of dowry towns finally ceased to exist.
Historical centers of the towns are well preserved until today. From time to time cultural or sport events are organised together.
Royal Towns
Towns directly owned by the king were named Royal Town (Královské město in Czech). One such town was SlanýSlaný
The Royal town1 of Slaný is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, located about 25 km northwest of Prague. The town is part of the Prague metropolitan area....
. 16th century Bohemia had around forty King's and Dowry towns. These towns were the eternal property of the monarch and couldn't be sold or used as guarantee of a debt although it happened quite often. These towns and their inhabitants had many economic and social privileges. For example, after Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
such cities formed the Third estate
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
.