Rudolice nad Bílinou
Encyclopedia
Rudolice nad Bílinou is a quarter in the city of Most
, Czech Republic
. The most well-known part is the settlement of Chánov, which is infamous as a ghetto
inhabited by Roma (Gypsies). The population of Chánov is 1,500 - 2,000 (2006 estimate).
. Chánov (officially called "locality Most - 14", "sídliště Most - 14") is administratively part of Rudolice.
The area has been inhabited since the neolithic
age. The first written mention of Rudolice (as Rudolfsdorf) comes from 1298. The place was also known under other names, including: Rudoltice, Rudolec, Rudolfsdorf, Rudelsdorf an der Biela. During 1298 - 1349 Osek Monastery (klášter Osek) bought out the estate and kept it until 1848.
Until the end of the 18th century Rudolice was a tiny hamlet; later, the number of inhabitants started to grow, peaking in the period of 1921 (389 inhabitants) - 1930 (1,279 inhabitants). In 1947 the village became part of the city of Most. Much of the housing was torn down during second half of the 1960s to make way for mining and transportation infrastructure.
Today, Rudolice is mainly an industrial area.
. The settlement is geographically separated by approximately 2km from the rest of Most.
During 1976–1978, 12 large panelák
s (concrete tenements) with 380 fully equipped flats, school building and infrastructure was built here to accommodate people from parts of Most torn down to make way for mining. The intention was to create an exemplary community for Roma (Gypsies) living, until then, scattered throughout Most in low quality housing, and to prove that the socialist state was able to integrate them. A government commission visiting Chánov in 1985 found most of the flats in poor condition and the people living in isolation from the rest of the city. About 50 flats were abandoned. The commission recommended that the Roma should not be concentrated in one place, and that ethnic Czechs should be brought in to reconstruct the place.(Details in Czech, p. 115 - 122. The link does not work currently 20/05/11)
Since the 1990s, Roma started to move into Chánov while the remaining Czechs moved out, creating a de facto ghetto
. The Roma, many newly arrived from Slovakia
, often lack the skills to assimilate, have low or no education and are unemployed (90% in 2006). Almost every inhabitant is a recipient of state welfare. About 38% of inhabitants are under the age of 15. 94% of the people have only primary education (often not completed).
Chánov lacks the majority of basic services. Hot water was cut off in 2000 as it was not paid for. Families that do not pay electricity have it disconnected, but illegal consumption is common. Almost no one pays the rent. Security is terrible as police patrols prove ineffective, and over time Chánov has become a symbol of Roma ghettoization and criminality. One of the 13 block houses (No.9) was completely derelict and torn down in 2002, several others are damaged and likely to be torn down in the future. 291 flats are inhabited, 64 flats are uninhabitable (2006). The city of Most periodically repairs the houses and the infrastructure (e.g. in 2006 a boiler house was reconstructed at a cost of 30 million CZK
).
Many other places with a high concentration of Roma people in Most and the Czech Republic are in a similar condition. The most populous one is Janov, a quarter of the city of Litvínov
Most
Most is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
, 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 most well-known part is the settlement of Chánov, which is infamous as a ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
inhabited by Roma (Gypsies). The population of Chánov is 1,500 - 2,000 (2006 estimate).
Rudolice
Rudolice map is one of the quarters of MostMost
Most is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
. Chánov (officially called "locality Most - 14", "sídliště Most - 14") is administratively part of Rudolice.
The area has been inhabited since the neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
age. The first written mention of Rudolice (as Rudolfsdorf) comes from 1298. The place was also known under other names, including: Rudoltice, Rudolec, Rudolfsdorf, Rudelsdorf an der Biela. During 1298 - 1349 Osek Monastery (klášter Osek) bought out the estate and kept it until 1848.
Until the end of the 18th century Rudolice was a tiny hamlet; later, the number of inhabitants started to grow, peaking in the period of 1921 (389 inhabitants) - 1930 (1,279 inhabitants). In 1947 the village became part of the city of Most. Much of the housing was torn down during second half of the 1960s to make way for mining and transportation infrastructure.
Today, Rudolice is mainly an industrial area.
Chánov
The area is named after the nearby village of Chánov, administrative part of the village of ObrniceObrnice
Obrnice is a village and municipality in Most District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 2,684 ....
. The settlement is geographically separated by approximately 2km from the rest of Most.
During 1976–1978, 12 large panelák
Panelák
is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
s (concrete tenements) with 380 fully equipped flats, school building and infrastructure was built here to accommodate people from parts of Most torn down to make way for mining. The intention was to create an exemplary community for Roma (Gypsies) living, until then, scattered throughout Most in low quality housing, and to prove that the socialist state was able to integrate them. A government commission visiting Chánov in 1985 found most of the flats in poor condition and the people living in isolation from the rest of the city. About 50 flats were abandoned. The commission recommended that the Roma should not be concentrated in one place, and that ethnic Czechs should be brought in to reconstruct the place.(Details in Czech, p. 115 - 122. The link does not work currently 20/05/11)
Since the 1990s, Roma started to move into Chánov while the remaining Czechs moved out, creating a de facto ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
. The Roma, many newly arrived from Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, often lack the skills to assimilate, have low or no education and are unemployed (90% in 2006). Almost every inhabitant is a recipient of state welfare. About 38% of inhabitants are under the age of 15. 94% of the people have only primary education (often not completed).
Chánov lacks the majority of basic services. Hot water was cut off in 2000 as it was not paid for. Families that do not pay electricity have it disconnected, but illegal consumption is common. Almost no one pays the rent. Security is terrible as police patrols prove ineffective, and over time Chánov has become a symbol of Roma ghettoization and criminality. One of the 13 block houses (No.9) was completely derelict and torn down in 2002, several others are damaged and likely to be torn down in the future. 291 flats are inhabited, 64 flats are uninhabitable (2006). The city of Most periodically repairs the houses and the infrastructure (e.g. in 2006 a boiler house was reconstructed at a cost of 30 million CZK
Czech koruna
The Czech koruna or Czech crown has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
).
Many other places with a high concentration of Roma people in Most and the Czech Republic are in a similar condition. The most populous one is Janov, a quarter of the city of Litvínov
Litvínov
Litvínov is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The largest oil refinery in the Czech Republic is located there. Models Eva Herzigová and Iva Frühlingová come from Litvínov. The HC Litvínov ice hockey club is based in the town....
External links
- [Ghetto No. 1: new Czech film documents life at country's biggest Roma ghetto - Czech Radio]
- Description of Chánov
- Statistics about Roma in Chánov (in Czech)
- History of Rudolice, photos (in Czech)
- Documentary about Chánov (13 parts, subtitles in English)