Kadan
Encyclopedia
Kadaň (ˈkadaɲ; ), is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region
of the Czech Republic
.
The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře
. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two large power plants nearby (Tušimice and Prunéřov). Kadaň is a tourist centre with highlights being the Franciscan Monastery and the historical square with late Gothic Town Hall Tower. It is also a town with the narrowest lane in the Czech Republic - Katova ulička with only 66.1 cm.
ic tribes. In the 1st century A.D. Germanic tribes came, but moved on in the great Germanic migration to the west. In the 6 th century the country was settled by Slaves. Some talk about a castle on Úhošť hill that might have been called Wogastisburg
where a battle between Franks
and Slavs
occurred in 631. The battle of Canburg
in 805 is also often mentioned in connection with the town, but is a mistake because locality of this name (Canburg - Kanina) is in Middle Bohemia.
The first written record is, though, of the end of the 12th century - the Czech prince granted the "market town" of Kadaň to the Knights of St. John. Slavic rulers called German settlers into the country, offering them freedom but gaining taxes at the same time. The Knights Hospitaller built the first church in Kadaň - St. John the Baptist - which still stands in the part of town called Hospitaller Suburb, but is now in the Baroque
style. In the 13th century, the town was promoted to a "Royal City". It began to thrive and a new town was built on the heights above the river, with a castle and Franciscan monastery
. There was a big fire in 1362. However, Emperor Charles IV
who twice visited the city (1367 and 1374) granted it several municipal rights (home rule, a vineyard, and an annual market) that made it flourish again. The reign of Wenceslaus IV (Václav IV) produced the skilled clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň
(Mikuláš z Kadaně), who, together with mathematician and astronomer Jan Šindel
, designed the Prague Orloj
.
The 15th century brought a new dimension to the history of Kadaň: the town and castle often used to be pledged to royal creditors. At the end of the rule of George of Poděbrady
first the town and later the castle was captured by Jan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic
(John of Lobkowicz and Hassenstein), who seemed to see Kadaň as a suitable capital for his dependent territories. The establishment and construction of the monastery of the Franciscans of strict observance, built as a family burial-place and later a pardon place of Fourteen Holy Helpers
, may reflect his ambitions for the town. Jan Hasištejnský died in 1517 and is buried in the Church of Fourteen Holy Helpers. His tomb is still on display in the Church, now part of the municipal museum. The same year saw the beginning of the Reformation
in Germany, which had an immediate impact on the atmosphere in German speaking Kadaň. In 1534, "Kadaň religious peace" was negotiated here between Württemberg
Protestants and Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
for the Catholic side. In the Thirty Years' War
during the next century, Kadaň suffered from fires and plundering by various armies on their way to the battlefields of Bohemia
. After the war, the formerly Czech-German town became a monolingual German domain.
During the Silesian Wars
Kadaň was a foothold for the withdrawing French army that fortified in the Franciscan monastery and was besieged by Hungarian and Croatian units of the Austrian army. The door of the monastery church still shows the bullet holes from that battle on October 14, 1742. The town caught fire in 1746, providing a great opportunity for Kadaň's "Christopher Wren" - Johann Christoph Kosch. He built many Baroque buildings, including the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross
, the Church of the Holy Family and the monastery of the Order of St. Elisabeth
. The Castle of Kadaň was rebuilt to serve as a barracks in the time of Maria Theresa of Austria
. Her son Joseph II
visited Kadaň in 1779. Joseph's reforms also affected town life. The monastery of Minorites was closed and thereafter became the premises of the first Grammar School under control of the Piarists
from 1803 to 1823. 1788 saw the inauguration of the town municipal council. Jakob Marzel Sternberger
was its first Mayor and held office until 1822. His great-grandson Jacob Sternberger
emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1850 as part of the first wave of European immigrants of that time (Max Kade
Institute).
The last great fire damaged the town in 1811 and since then, the historic centre has retained its pattern. After the Revolution of 1848 the letdown town became a district centre. The institute of the district town lasted in Kadaň for 110 years when it was affiliated with Chomutov
district. In the second half of the 19th century homeland study activities developed and a number of institutions, clubs and societies were established. The national composition of the Kadaň population was very explicit - over 90% German and only 3% Czech, with a Jewish community as well.
In the final weeks of World War I
, Czechoslovakia
was established on 28 October 1918, its Czech, Moravian and Silesian component having been defined by the historic borders of the Czech (Bohemian) kingdom. However, most of the German border population, was not enthusiastic about becoming part of a new republic with a clearly Slavonic definition. Instead, four regional self-governed states emerged along the borderland, according to the right for self determination guaranteed by Woodrow Wilson
in no. 10 of his Fourteen Points
. Kaaden, (Kadaň in Czech), declared itself part of German Bohemia
. On 4 March 1919, the first assembly of the German Austria
n parliament was the occasion for both peaceful and violent demonstrations in the mostly German-populated border cities. In Kadaň, the curfew and martial law was declared and the Czechoslovak military forces were sent in. The demonstration in Kadaň for self determination was the bloodiest. According to Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung
report of 7 March 1919, 17 persons were killed, 30 badly wounded, and 80 wounded there. Over all, 25 victims were buried in a memorial grave at the central cemetery. It was restored after the fall of communism in 1989.
After the Munich Agreement
in later September 1938, Kaaden became part of Reichsgau Sudetenland
. The local Czech people were forced to move to central Czechoslovakia, the remaining ones and the Jewish community was strongly oppressed. The synagogue was burnt down during the Kristallnacht
of November 9, 1939. According to Beneš decrees
, after the Second World War, all of the German population was transferred (Flight and expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia during and after World War II), and the area was re-settled by Czech people, many without roots in this region.
From the 1950s, new prefabricated housing estates were built that reached the outer parts of the historical conurbation in the 1960s and 70s. This expansion was necessary because many people had moved in to get jobs in the region's thriving mining and electrical industries. The historical monuments were dilapidated and uncared-for. Before 1989 some parts of the historical centre were intended to be replaced by modern housing. Fortunately the Velvet Revolution
changed the trend of development in the town and brought about a change in attitudes towards the cultural values of the past. The historical heart of Kadaň began to be repaired and after 15 years it has become a pearl of the region. There is now a new site on the bank of the Ohře River being planned and projected- Maxipes Fík
Embankment with a lot of attractions both for children and adults. The town has been turning to be a tourist centre of the predominantly industrial region. The only drawback for tourism is the lack of a higher-capacity hotel in the town.
Kadaň is home to several secondary schools with a long history.
The oldest of them is the Gymnasium
that was established in 1803 with 99 students and continued under the control of the Piarists
until 1823. The seat of the old Gymnasium was a former Minorites Monastery (different from the Franciscan Monastery) near the square in a building which is now residence of the Regional Archives. The institute of Gymnasium was then reestablished in 1872 in a new building. The Gymnasium was again closed in 1951 and the new Industrial School moved to the building. It is still there today. A new Gymnasium was established in 1968 and has remained on the same premises since 1978. The Industrial School specialized at first on mining (because of the lignite
and uranium
mines in the surroundings), however since 1957 it has been specialized on building and finally in 2001 it added Commercial Academy to its educational program so now it is called Industrial Building School and Commercial Academy. The Agriculture School (now SOŠS a SOU Amos) was established in 1862 as so-called Ackerbauschule. In front of the building there are valuable statues of Albrecht Daniel Thaer
and Justus von Liebig
(restored in 2003). The teaching in all the schools was in German language until 1945. There are 4 Elementary Schools in Kadaň and a school for handicapped children.
, Czechoslovak Hussite Church
, Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren
and Orthodox Church. Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross is situated in the square.
Kadaň is situated at the edges of Doupov Mountains
with mixed forests and Ore Mountains with coniferous stand. There were three major parks in the 19th century enlarging town. The Municipal park - now Smetanovy sady - was founded by a Kadaň inhabitant and future Mayor Peter Prinzl in 1852. Landscape park was also established on the rocks over the Ohře river next to the Franciscan monastery. A new organisation Anpflanzungs- und Verschönerungsverein Kaaden concentrated its energy on park layout for so-called Svatá hora or Svatý kopeček - Holy Hill that was called "holy" (heiliger berg since 1541) for its position above the holy pilgrimage monastery. The hill with abandoned rock vineyards became an English park with a lot of viewpoints, arbours and benches at the turn of the 20th century. Jaroslav Havlíček
wrote in his novel "Vlčí kůže" about Svatá hora that it was a place for romantic walks of young couples. The park the area around was also referred to as Sommerfrische Kaaden - Kadaň summer resort. It was, however, not cared for in the times of World War II and Communists after 1948 left the park to be completely devastated and overgrown. However, the socialist planners projected the new residential areas with a lot of greenery inside. A new large park came to existence on the other side of the town on the left bank of Bystřice stream - now Rooseveltovy sady.
with:
Ústí nad Labem Region
Ústí nad Labem Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of its historical region of Bohemia...
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....
.
The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře
Ohre
The Ohře is a 316 km long river in Germany and the Czech Republic , left tributary of the Elbe. The basin area of the river has a size of 6,255 km², of which 5,614 km² are in the Czech Republic and 641 km² in Germany...
. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two large power plants nearby (Tušimice and Prunéřov). Kadaň is a tourist centre with highlights being the Franciscan Monastery and the historical square with late Gothic Town Hall Tower. It is also a town with the narrowest lane in the Czech Republic - Katova ulička with only 66.1 cm.
Early history until the Thirty Years' War
There are legends accrediting the beginnings of the town to CeltCelt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic tribes. In the 1st century A.D. Germanic tribes came, but moved on in the great Germanic migration to the west. In the 6 th century the country was settled by Slaves. Some talk about a castle on Úhošť hill that might have been called Wogastisburg
Battle of Wogastisburg
According to the contemporary Chronicle of Fredegar, the battle of Wogastisburg was a battle between Slavs under King Samo and Franks under King Dagobert I in 631. The Frankish armies were advancing the area of Slavic tribal union in three streams - Alamanni, Lombards, and Austrasian Franks...
where a battle between Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
and Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
occurred in 631. The battle of Canburg
Canburg
In 805 Charlemagne issued a fourth ban on the export of weapons to the Slavs. According to Moissac Chronicle Charlemagne's son Charles laid siege to "Canburg" . Nobody knows where exactly Canburg was situated.The chronicle writes about the left bank of the Elbe river, but the author could easily...
in 805 is also often mentioned in connection with the town, but is a mistake because locality of this name (Canburg - Kanina) is in Middle Bohemia.
The first written record is, though, of the end of the 12th century - the Czech prince granted the "market town" of Kadaň to the Knights of St. John. Slavic rulers called German settlers into the country, offering them freedom but gaining taxes at the same time. The Knights Hospitaller built the first church in Kadaň - St. John the Baptist - which still stands in the part of town called Hospitaller Suburb, but is now in the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. In the 13th century, the town was promoted to a "Royal City". It began to thrive and a new town was built on the heights above the river, with a castle and Franciscan monastery
Franciscan Monastery in Kadan
The Franciscan Monastery lies on the edge of the town of Kadaň, Czech Republic and near the river Ohře. Its history dates back to the 15th century. It is now the seat of the Municipal Museum of Kadaň with e.g. the exposition of the conventual life. The church dedication to Fourteen Holy Helpers...
. There was a big fire in 1362. However, Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles 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....
who twice visited the city (1367 and 1374) granted it several municipal rights (home rule, a vineyard, and an annual market) that made it flourish again. The reign of Wenceslaus IV (Václav IV) produced the skilled clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň
Mikulas of Kadan
Mikuláš of Kadaň was an Imperial clockmaker who designed the clock machine of Prague Orloj together with Jan Šindel around 1410 . The Orloj was modified by Master Hanuš who was mistaken to be the creator of the clock according to the legend recorded by Alois Jirásek....
(Mikuláš z Kadaně), who, together with mathematician and astronomer Jan Šindel
Jan Šindel
Jan Šindel was a professor at Charles University and became the rector of the University in 1410. He lectured on mathematics and astronomy....
, designed the Prague Orloj
Prague Orloj
The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, at . The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working.-Description:The Orloj is...
.
The 15th century brought a new dimension to the history of Kadaň: the town and castle often used to be pledged to royal creditors. At the end of the rule of George of Poděbrady
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...
first the town and later the castle was captured by Jan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic
Jan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic
Jan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic was a Bohemian diplomat to Luxembourg 1477 and Rome 1487 in the time of Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary. The king sent him to negotiate a marriage with Mary of Burgundy. He made a journey to Palestine in 1493 and wrote a travel book about it called Pilgrimage to...
(John of Lobkowicz and Hassenstein), who seemed to see Kadaň as a suitable capital for his dependent territories. The establishment and construction of the monastery of the Franciscans of strict observance, built as a family burial-place and later a pardon place of Fourteen Holy Helpers
Fourteen Holy Helpers
The Fourteen Holy Helpers are a group of saints venerated together in Roman Catholicism because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against various diseases...
, may reflect his ambitions for the town. Jan Hasištejnský died in 1517 and is buried in the Church of Fourteen Holy Helpers. His tomb is still on display in the Church, now part of the municipal museum. The same year saw the beginning of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Germany, which had an immediate impact on the atmosphere in German speaking Kadaň. In 1534, "Kadaň religious peace" was negotiated here between Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
Protestants and Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
for the Catholic side. In 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....
during the next century, Kadaň suffered from fires and plundering by various armies on their way to the battlefields of 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...
. After the war, the formerly Czech-German town became a monolingual German domain.
The Age of Enlightenment until the 19th century
Silesian Wars
The Silesian Wars were a series of wars between Prussia and Austria for control of Silesia. They formed parts of the larger War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. They eventually ended with Silesia being incorporated into Prussia, and Austrian recognition of this...
Kadaň was a foothold for the withdrawing French army that fortified in the Franciscan monastery and was besieged by Hungarian and Croatian units of the Austrian army. The door of the monastery church still shows the bullet holes from that battle on October 14, 1742. The town caught fire in 1746, providing a great opportunity for Kadaň's "Christopher Wren" - Johann Christoph Kosch. He built many Baroque buildings, including the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross
Elevation of the Holy Cross
The Elevation of the Holy Cross is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on September 14. It is one of the two feast days which is held as a strict fast...
, the Church of the Holy Family and the monastery of the Order of St. Elisabeth
Order of St. Elisabeth
The Order of the Sisters of St Elizabeth is a Catholic Church Order founded by Apollonia Radermecher in Aachen in 1622. The order was called after Saint Elisabeth of Hungary . The Sisters of St...
. The Castle of Kadaň was rebuilt to serve as a barracks in the time of Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
. Her son Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
visited Kadaň in 1779. Joseph's reforms also affected town life. The monastery of Minorites was closed and thereafter became the premises of the first Grammar School under control of the Piarists
Piarists
The Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools or, in short, Piarists , is the name of the oldest Catholic educational order also known as the Scolopi, Escolapios or Poor Clerics of the Mother of God...
from 1803 to 1823. 1788 saw the inauguration of the town municipal council. Jakob Marzel Sternberger
Jakob Marzel Sternberger
Jakob Marzel Sternberger was the first mayor of the town of Kadaň after the municipal reform of Joseph II. He was a mayor from 1788 till 1822....
was its first Mayor and held office until 1822. His great-grandson Jacob Sternberger
Jacob Sternberger
Jacob Sternberger was a grandson to Mayor of Kaaden Jakob Marzel Sternberger and an immigrant to the U.S.A. on whose correspondence is based one of the project of Max Kade Institute on German immigration in America....
emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1850 as part of the first wave of European immigrants of that time (Max Kade
Max Kade
Dr. h.c. Max Kade was an emigrant from Germany to New York City who became successful in the pharmaceutical industry. Kade was committed to advancing German-American relations...
Institute).
The last great fire damaged the town in 1811 and since then, the historic centre has retained its pattern. After the Revolution of 1848 the letdown town became a district centre. The institute of the district town lasted in Kadaň for 110 years when it was affiliated with Chomutov
Chomutov
Chomutov is a city in the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region.Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants , thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem...
district. In the second half of the 19th century homeland study activities developed and a number of institutions, clubs and societies were established. The national composition of the Kadaň population was very explicit - over 90% German and only 3% Czech, with a Jewish community as well.
20th century
At the start of the 20th century, the "Society of Friends of the Museum in Kaaden" decided to document the towns' history by opening a museum.In the final weeks of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was established on 28 October 1918, its Czech, Moravian and Silesian component having been defined by the historic borders of the Czech (Bohemian) kingdom. However, most of the German border population, was not enthusiastic about becoming part of a new republic with a clearly Slavonic definition. Instead, four regional self-governed states emerged along the borderland, according to the right for self determination guaranteed by Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
in no. 10 of his Fourteen Points
Fourteen Points
The Fourteen Points was a speech given by United States President Woodrow Wilson to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918. The address was intended to assure the country that the Great War was being fought for a moral cause and for postwar peace in Europe...
. Kaaden, (Kadaň in Czech), declared itself part of German Bohemia
German Bohemia
German Bohemia was a region in Czech Republic established, for a short period of time, after World War I. It included parts of northern and western Bohemia once largely populated by ethnic Germans...
. On 4 March 1919, the first assembly of the German Austria
German Austria
Republic of German Austria was created following World War I as the initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking population within what had been the Austro-Hungarian Empire, without the Kingdom of Hungary, which in 1918 had become the Hungarian Democratic Republic.German...
n parliament was the occasion for both peaceful and violent demonstrations in the mostly German-populated border cities. In Kadaň, the curfew and martial law was declared and the Czechoslovak military forces were sent in. The demonstration in Kadaň for self determination was the bloodiest. According to Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
report of 7 March 1919, 17 persons were killed, 30 badly wounded, and 80 wounded there. Over all, 25 victims were buried in a memorial grave at the central cemetery. It was restored after the fall of communism in 1989.
After the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
in later September 1938, Kaaden became part of Reichsgau Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
. The local Czech people were forced to move to central Czechoslovakia, the remaining ones and the Jewish community was strongly oppressed. The synagogue was burnt down during the Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
of November 9, 1939. According to Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...
, after the Second World War, all of the German population was transferred (Flight and expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia during and after World War II), and the area was re-settled by Czech people, many without roots in this region.
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
changed the trend of development in the town and brought about a change in attitudes towards the cultural values of the past. The historical heart of Kadaň began to be repaired and after 15 years it has become a pearl of the region. There is now a new site on the bank of the Ohře River being planned and projected- Maxipes Fík
Maxipes Fik
Maxipes Fík is a popular cartoon character of Czech children TV animated series. First series was shot in 1975. The author and screenwriter was Rudolf Čechura and the animator was Jiří Šalamoun. Music was composed by Petr Skoumal, the voice was narrated by actor Josef Dvořák. The second series was...
Embankment with a lot of attractions both for children and adults. The town has been turning to be a tourist centre of the predominantly industrial region. The only drawback for tourism is the lack of a higher-capacity hotel in the town.
Places of interest
- Franciscan MonasteryFranciscan Monastery in KadanThe Franciscan Monastery lies on the edge of the town of Kadaň, Czech Republic and near the river Ohře. Its history dates back to the 15th century. It is now the seat of the Municipal Museum of Kadaň with e.g. the exposition of the conventual life. The church dedication to Fourteen Holy Helpers...
(museum) - Town Hall Tower
- The Castle
- The Old Square
- Holy Tower
- Barbican
- Lookout Tower on Svatý kopeček (Holy Hill)
Galleries
- Městská galerie Josefa Lieslera ("pod věží" - under the tower)
- Městská galerie Karla Havlíčka ("na hradě" - in the castle)
- Galerie U Netopýra also called Kisza Gallery, is one of the largest private galleries with permanent exhibition in Central Europe
- Galerie U Adama (Jitka Gavendová and František Vlček)
- Galerie Na půdě - "on the attic" (of the Franciscan Monastery)
- Pictures and photographies for sale are usually in a lot of local restaurants and boarding houses
Annual events
- Emperor's Day (on last August Sunday, takes place on the square with a lot of attractions)
- Maxipes FíkMaxipes FikMaxipes Fík is a popular cartoon character of Czech children TV animated series. First series was shot in 1975. The author and screenwriter was Rudolf Čechura and the animator was Jiří Šalamoun. Music was composed by Petr Skoumal, the voice was narrated by actor Josef Dvořák. The second series was...
Birthday - KirwitzerWenceslas Pantaleon KirwitzerWenceslas Pantaleon Kirwitzer was an astronomer and a Jesuit missionary.- Life :Kirwitzer was born in Kadaň , Bohemia to a protestant family descended from the village of Krbice so his surname was derived from "Kürbitzer"...
Astronomical Day - Old Czech Carnival
- Franciscan Summer
- Vine Harvest Festival
- Vysmáté léto - Summer Rock Fest
- Nativity Play
- Passion of Christ Play
Education
The oldest of them is the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
that was established in 1803 with 99 students and continued under the control of the Piarists
Piarists
The Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools or, in short, Piarists , is the name of the oldest Catholic educational order also known as the Scolopi, Escolapios or Poor Clerics of the Mother of God...
until 1823. The seat of the old Gymnasium was a former Minorites Monastery (different from the Franciscan Monastery) near the square in a building which is now residence of the Regional Archives. The institute of Gymnasium was then reestablished in 1872 in a new building. The Gymnasium was again closed in 1951 and the new Industrial School moved to the building. It is still there today. A new Gymnasium was established in 1968 and has remained on the same premises since 1978. The Industrial School specialized at first on mining (because of the lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
and uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
mines in the surroundings), however since 1957 it has been specialized on building and finally in 2001 it added Commercial Academy to its educational program so now it is called Industrial Building School and Commercial Academy. The Agriculture School (now SOŠS a SOU Amos) was established in 1862 as so-called Ackerbauschule. In front of the building there are valuable statues of Albrecht Daniel Thaer
Albrecht Thaer
Albrecht Daniel Thaer was a renowned German agronomist and an avid supporter of the humus theory for plant nutrition.Thaer was born in Celle and died in Wriezen...
and Justus von Liebig
Justus von Liebig
Justus von Liebig was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry. As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the...
(restored in 2003). The teaching in all the schools was in German language until 1945. There are 4 Elementary Schools in Kadaň and a school for handicapped children.
History
- Peter Georg Niger (Schwartz) (1434 - 1481 or 1484) - theologian
- Jan Hasištejnský z LobkovicJan Hasištejnský z LobkovicJan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic was a Bohemian diplomat to Luxembourg 1477 and Rome 1487 in the time of Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary. The king sent him to negotiate a marriage with Mary of Burgundy. He made a journey to Palestine in 1493 and wrote a travel book about it called Pilgrimage to...
(1450 - 1517) - traveller, politician and writer - Petr Štěrba ze Štěrbic (1517/18-1591) - scriber and translator
- Jan Sandel - translator from German (Wenceslaus HájekWenceslaus HajekWenceslaus Hajek of Libočan was a Bohemian chronicler, author of the Annales Bohemorum .-External links:* digitalised copy...
's Bohemian Chronicle, 1543) - Wenceslas (Václav) Pantaleon KirwitzerWenceslas Pantaleon KirwitzerWenceslas Pantaleon Kirwitzer was an astronomer and a Jesuit missionary.- Life :Kirwitzer was born in Kadaň , Bohemia to a protestant family descended from the village of Krbice so his surname was derived from "Kürbitzer"...
(1588 - 1626 MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
) - astronomer - Wilhelm Nigrinus (Schwartz) (1588 - 1638) (:de:Wilhelm Nigrinus), ethnologist
- Theodor Innitzer (1875 - 1955) - cardinal archbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Vienna - Edward Goll (1884 - 1949 Mont Albert, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), pianist and music teacher - Hans Zeisel (1905 - 1992 ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
), sociologist and economist - Petr KlímaPetr KlimaPetr Klíma is a Czech former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins...
(1964 born to Kadaň parents in ChomutovChomutovChomutov is a city in the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region.Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants , thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem...
hospital), ice hockey player, Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
winner (1990, Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
)
Art
- Karel Havlíček (1907 - 1988)
- Josef LieslerJosef LieslerJosef Liesler was a Czech surrealist painter, graphic designer, illustrator, exlibris and postage stamp designer....
(1912 Vidolice u Kadaně - August 6, 2005 Prague) - Josef Kokeš (1906 - 1967)
- Rudolf Koblic (1933 - 2003)
- Herbert Kisza (*1943)
- Vojtěch Kraus
- František Vlček (*1947)
- Jitka Gavendová (*1946)
- Jitka Křivancová
- Pavel Wolf
- Dalibor Vajnar
- Kryštof Kisza
- Margo Paran (*1946) - an IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
artist and poet born in Kadaň
Churches
There are churches and chapels of four Christian denominations: Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Czechoslovak Hussite Church
Czechoslovak Hussite Church
The Czechoslovak Hussite Church is a Christian Church which separated from the Roman Catholic Church after World War I in former Czechoslovakia. It traces its tradition back to the Hussite reformers and acknowledges Jan Hus as its predecessor...
, Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren
Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren
The Protestant Church of Czech Brethren , was formed in 1918 in Czechoslovakia through the unification of the Protestant churches of the Lutheran and Reformed confessions...
and Orthodox Church. Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross is situated in the square.
Parks and urban vegetation
Doupovské hory
Doupov Mountains is a cenozoic volcanic mountain range with the typical structure of stratovolcano. The centre of the stratovolcano was in the place of a former town of Doupov....
with mixed forests and Ore Mountains with coniferous stand. There were three major parks in the 19th century enlarging town. The Municipal park - now Smetanovy sady - was founded by a Kadaň inhabitant and future Mayor Peter Prinzl in 1852. Landscape park was also established on the rocks over the Ohře river next to the Franciscan monastery. A new organisation Anpflanzungs- und Verschönerungsverein Kaaden concentrated its energy on park layout for so-called Svatá hora or Svatý kopeček - Holy Hill that was called "holy" (heiliger berg since 1541) for its position above the holy pilgrimage monastery. The hill with abandoned rock vineyards became an English park with a lot of viewpoints, arbours and benches at the turn of the 20th century. Jaroslav Havlíček
Jaroslav Havlíček
Jaroslav Havlíček was a Czech novelist. He was an exponent of naturalism and psychological novel in Czech literature.- Life :...
wrote in his novel "Vlčí kůže" about Svatá hora that it was a place for romantic walks of young couples. The park the area around was also referred to as Sommerfrische Kaaden - Kadaň summer resort. It was, however, not cared for in the times of World War II and Communists after 1948 left the park to be completely devastated and overgrown. However, the socialist planners projected the new residential areas with a lot of greenery inside. A new large park came to existence on the other side of the town on the left bank of Bystřice stream - now Rooseveltovy sady.
Interesting facts
- A Swiss-French writer Benjamin ConstantBenjamin ConstantHenri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque was a Swiss-born French nobleman, thinker, writer and politician.-Biography:...
set a part of his famous novel AdolpheAdolpheAdolphe is a classic French novel by Benjamin Constant, first published in 1816. It tells the story of an alienated young man, Adolphe, who falls in love with an older woman, Ellénore, the Polish mistress of the Comte de P***. Their illicit relationship serves to isolate them from their friends and...
(1816) in Kadaň, referring to it as Caden, petite ville de la Bohême. http://www.badosa.com/bin/obra.pl?id=n081-06 - Václav Vanya from Kadaň Švejk Restaurant U Věžičky won the national Pilsner UrquellPilsner UrquellPlzeňský Prazdroj , known better by its German name Pilsner Urquell , is a bottom-fermented beer produced since 1842 in Pilsen, part of today's Czech Republic. Pilsner Urquell was the first pilsner beer in the world...
Master Bartender competition 2008. - There is a dive barDive barA dive bar is a type of bar or pub. Dive bars generally have a relaxed and informal atmosphere—they are often referred to by local residents as "neighborhood bars," where people in the neighborhood gather to drink and socialize...
named Kadaň located in San Diego, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. http://www.kadanclub.com/
Environs and tips to visit
- Hasištejn
HasištejnHasištejn is a ruined medieval castle in Bohemia, the Czech Republic. It is situated near Kadaň, Klášterec nad Ohří and Chomutov.The castle, first mentioned in Maiestas Carolina, was probably founded by Friedrich of Schönburg to guard the way from Prague to Saxony...
Castle - Úhošť hill
- Klášterec nad OhříKlášterec nad OhríKlášterec nad Ohří is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The River Ohře runs through the town.The town has around 15,700 inhabitants...
- Krásný DvůrKrásný DvurKrásný Dvůr is a Baroque chateau in North Bohemia, Czech Republic. It has a English-style landscape park and a garden inspired by that of Versailles.- History :...
- ZOOpark ChomutovChomutovChomutov is a city in the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region.Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants , thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem...
- Nechranice reservoir
- Egerberk Castle
- Šumburk Castle
- Hauenštejn CastleHauenštejnHauenštejn is a medieval castle in the Czech Republic. The castle is private property of Pavel Palacký, a descendant of František Palacký....
/ Horní Hrad - Karlovy VaryKarlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
- 44 km
Twin towns — Sister cities
Kadaň is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
-
AueAueAue is a small town in Germany at the outlet of the river Schwarzwasser into the river Mulde in the Ore Mountains, and has roughly 18,000 inhabitants. Aue was the administrative seat of the former district of Aue-Schwarzenberg in Saxony, and is part of the Erzgebirgskreis since August 2008...
(SaxonySaxonyThe Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , 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...
) -
HalleHalle, BelgiumHalle , is a Belgian city and municipality in the district Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia...
(FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
)