Svitavy

Svitavy
Town
Peace Square in Svitavy
Flag
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region Pardubice
District Svitavy
Commune Svitavy
River Svitava
Elevation 435 m (1,427 ft)
Coordinates CZ 49°45′20″N 16°28′10″E / 49.75556°N 16.46944°E / 49.75556; 16.46944Coordinates: CZ 49°45′20″N 16°28′10″E / 49.75556°N 16.46944°E / 49.75556; 16.46944
Area 31.33 km2 (12.1 sq mi)
Population 17,117 (01-0-2015)
Density 546 / km2 (1,414 / sq mi)
Founded around 1150
Mayor David Šimek
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 568 02 - 570 01
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Svitavy
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.svitavy.cz

Svitavy (Czech pronunciation: [ˈsvɪtavɪ]; German: Zwittau) is the capital and largest town in the Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. The town has a population of 18,000 and is also the district administrative centre. It is the birthplace of Oskar Schindler and an important center of the Czech Esperanto movement, with an Esperanto museum that is part of the city museum.

History

The town's origins date back to around 1150 when Premonstratensian monks from nearby Litomyšl built a church and founded a village at a ford on the river Svitava ("pure", "clear"), from which the settlement got its name. Svitavy was first mentioned in 1256 when it was taken over by the bishop of Olomouc, Bruno von Schauenburg. Settlers were then brought in from Germany. In 1330, Svitavy was promoted to the status of a city, and at the end of the 14th century, walls were built around the city with three gates. In the 16th century the town flourished economically as a center of weavers and drapers. During the Hussite, Thirty Years', Napoleonic and Austro-Prussian wars, the city suffered as armies passed through the town. During the Thirty Years' War the town was devastated and in 1781 it burned down by accident. In the 19th century the building of a railway line through Zwittau contributed to the development of the town, especially the textile industry. Svitavy was historically a German-speaking town with a Czech minority; in 1930, 88.4% of the population was German. In the beginning of the 20th century the town saw tensions between Czech and German speaking people. In October 1938, the town was added to Sudetenland and occupied by the German army. After the end of the Second World War in 1945, the German population was expelled as a result of the Beneš decrees. The industrialist Oskar Schindler, who saved 1,200 Jews working at his factory during the war, was born in Zwittau.

Sights

Svitavy has a valuable historical core, which includes the elongated main square with the second longest arcade in the Czech Republic and a collection of architecturally noteworthy civic buildings, several churches, remains of city walls, and baroque statues.

Among the most notable buildings in Svitavy are the old city hall and the neighboring building "U mouřenína" ("The Moor"), located on the main square. Also of particular interest are the City Museum and the Ottendorfer House. The oldest church in Svitavy is the Church of St. Giles. There are only a few remains left of the city walls, including a semi-circular bastion. There are a variety of monuments and statues in the town's public spaces.

Civic buildings

Ecclesiastical buildings

Museums, galleries and other cultural institutions

In addition, a branch of the museum is located on the ground floor of the Ottendorfer House:

Statues and monuments

Nature

Notable people

Surroundings

Transportation

Svitavy is a transportation hub of the area. It is well-connected by rail to other parts of the Czech Republic, including regular connections to Brno and Prague. EuroCity and InterCity trains pass through Svitavy without stopping, but some stop at Česká Třebová, a short distance from Svitavy on the same line. The town also has an intercity bus station with services to various destinations. Two major highways cross just north of Svitavy, E461/43, which goes through the town to Brno and Vienna, and E442/35 going east-west.

Esperanto activity

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Svitavy is twinned with:

References

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Svitavy.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.