Žatec

Lore & Background

Žatec's first written mention appears in the Latin chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg in 1004. It was first titled a town in 1248 and received royal town privileges from King Ottokar II in 1265. By the 16th century, Žatec had around 5,000 inhabitants and was among the most populous towns in the kingdom. In 1827, the first chain bridge in Bohemia was built over the Ohře River here. During the Hussite Wars and until the Thirty Years' War, the town was Hussite or Protestant, but after the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 most Czech inhabitants left, and it remained ethnically German until 1945. In June 1945, 5,000 male Sudeten German inhabitants were marched to Postoloprty, and at least 763 were murdered, with estimates ranging up to 2,000 victims.

Reader's Guide

Žatec's significance lies in its continuous tradition of hop growing and beer brewing, documented since 1348 and 1261 respectively. The Saaz hops (Žatec hops) are a protected designation of origin, and the town's brewery, founded in 1800–1801, still operates today. The historic core, protected since 1961, features architectural styles from Romanesque to Art Nouveau, including the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The UNESCO listing in 2023 recognized Žatec and the surrounding hop landscape. The town hosts the annual Dočesná harvest festival and contains museums dedicated to hops and brewing, as well as a Retro Computer exhibition. Its legacy is also tied to a tragic post-war expulsion of German inhabitants, with documented killings in 1945.

Did You Know?

• Žatec's name comes from an Old Czech word for a place where ice accumulates in a narrowed river channel.
• The extreme temperature recorded in Žatec ranged from −31.2 °C in 1929 to 38.9 °C in 2012.
• Žatec was used as a filming location for the Oscar-winning film Jojo Rabbit (2019).
• The town is twinned with Krasnystaw (Poland), Poperinge (Belgium), Thum (Germany), and Žalec (Slovenia).