Český Krumlov

Did You Know?

• The name Krumlov derives from Middle High German Krumme Aue, meaning 'crooked meadow', referring to a bend of the Vltava River.
• The adjective Český ('Bohemian') was added in the 15th century to distinguish it from Moravský Krumlov in south Moravia.
• The northern part of the municipal territory belongs to the Blanský les Protected Landscape Area.

History

The area has been permanently inhabited due to its convenient location by the river, with the oldest settlement dating to the Older Stone Age (70,000–50,000 BC). Mass settlement is evidenced from the Bronze Age (1,500 BC), Celtic settlements appeared in the Younger Iron Age (c. 400 BC), and the first Slavic settlement occurred in the 6th century AD. Trade routes along the Vltava passed through the territory in the Early Middle Ages. The Český Krumlov Castle was founded shortly before 1250 by a local branch of the noble Vítkovci family, descendants of Witiko of Prčice. The first written mention of the town appears in a 1253 deed as Chrumbenowe. The town developed in two stages: the first part, Latrán, grew spontaneously below the castle, settled mainly by people with administrative ties to the castle; the second part, called Old Town, was founded as a new settlement. Both Czech and German nationalities were represented from the town's foundation, and a Jewish community is documented from 1334. In 1302, the Vítkovci line became extinct, and King Wenceslaus II ceded the estate to the Rosenberg family, who made it their main residence. Peter I of Rosenberg erected the present upper castle in the early 14th century. The town reached its highest prosperity in the 15th century under Oldřich II of Rosenberg, when the estate territory was considerably enlarged. In the late 15th century, gold discoveries near the town attracted German miners, shifting the ethnic balance. In 1555, William of Rosenberg unified the previously separate town parts of Latrán and Old Town. In the late 16th century, he had the castle rebuilt in Renaissance style. In 1602, Peter Vok of Rosenberg sold Krumlov to Emperor Rudolf II, who gave it to his illegitimate son Julius d'Austria. After the Bohemian Revolt and the 1620 Battle of White Mountain, Emperor Ferdinand II granted Krumlov to the Eggenberg family, and the town became the seat of the Duchy of Krumlov. From 1719 to 1947, the castle belonged to the Schwarzenberg family.

Economy

Notable industrial companies in Český Krumlov include Linde Pohony, a producer of propulsion and control systems for forklifts; Fronius Česká republika, a manufacturer of welding equipment and photovoltaic power plant equipment; and two divisions of the Schwan-Stabilo corporate group: Schwan Cosmetics, producing cosmetic pencils, and Schwan-Stabilo, producing writing instruments. The largest non-industrial employer is the Český Krumlov Hospital. The Pivovar Eggenberg brewery operated from 1560 until its closure in 2014; since 2016, a new small historical brewery has been operating in the former brewery premises.

Culture

Český Krumlov comes alive each year with several festivals. The Five-Petalled Rose Festival, named after the Rosenberg family crest, takes place over the summer solstice weekend. The town center becomes a medieval scene, filled with costumed locals, artisans, musicians, and performers. Visitors can watch jousting, fencing, historical dances, and folk theatre in the castle area and along the river, all ending with fireworks. The International Music Festival Český Krumlov, running from July into August, has been a yearly event since 1992, showcasing a wide range of international music. Another summer highlight is Open Air Krumlov, a blues, rock, and soul festival held in late June at the Eggenberg Brewery Garden.

Sights

The historic town centre with the castle complex has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, preserving the medieval street layout. Most architecture dates from the 13th through 17th centuries, primarily in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The historical core, today the municipal part Vnitřní město, lies within a horseshoe meander of the river, with the old Latrán town part and castle complex on the opposite bank. The centre of Old Town is Náměstí Svornosti square, dominated by the town hall from 1597, created by merging three Gothic houses with arcades and a Renaissance attic. Only fragments of the town fortifications remain: one town gate built 1598–1602, a bastion from 1505, and remains of zwinger walls. The Český Krumlov Castle complex, one of the largest in central Europe at 7 ha, comprises forty buildings and palaces around five castle courts and a castle park. It is surrounded by a moat filled with bears, an attempt by former rulers to associate themselves with the Orsini family. The castle preserves its Baroque theatre, built 1680–1682 under Prince Johann Christian I of Eggenberg and renovated with up-to-date stage equipment under Joseph I Adam of Schwarzenberg in 1765–1766; it is the oldest of four 18th-century theatres in the world that have preserved scenery, props, and stage machinery, and only hosts performances on special occasions. Its equipment is protected as a national cultural monument. Since 1959, a revolving auditorium has been located in the castle gardens. The Church of Saint Vitus, a national cultural monument, is a late Gothic structure from 1407–1439 built on foundations from 1309, still used for religious and cultural purposes. The former Church of Saint Judoc in Latrán was abolished in 1787 or 1788 and is now used for housing and shopping, with its tower serving as a lookout tower.