Libochovice () is a town in

Litoměřice District Litoměřice District () is a Okres, district in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Litoměřice. Administrative division Litoměřice District is divided into three Districts of the Czech Republic#Munici ...

in the

Ústí nad Labem Region Ústí nad Labem Region or Ústecký Region () is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of the historical land of Bohemia, and named after the capital, Ústí nad Labem. I ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 3,400 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Libochovice consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Libochovice (2,813) *Dubany (189) *Poplze (389)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Liboch (in old Czech known as Ľuboch), meaning "the village of Liboch's people".

Geography

Libochovice is located about south of

Litoměřice Litoměřice (; ) is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation. The town is the seat of the Roman C ...

and south of

Ústí nad Labem Ústí nad Labem (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction. ...

. It lies in an agricultural landscape in the

Lower Ohře Table The Lower Ohře Table () is a plateau and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Ústí nad Labem and Central Bohemian regions. Geomorphology The Lower Ohře Table is a mesoregion of the Central Bohemian Tab ...

. The

Ohře The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...

River flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Libochovice is from 1336, when it was described as a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

with a fortress. In 1560, Libochovice became a town. The first Jews came into the town probably in the second half of the 15th century. From the second half of the 16th century there was a strong Jewish community, but most of them died during

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, and the community was never renewed after World War II.

Demographics

Transport

Libochovice is located on the railway lines

–

Žatec Žatec (; ) is a town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Žatec is famous for an over-700-year-long tradition of growing Saaz hops, Saaz noble hops u ...

and

Česká Lípa Česká Lípa (; ) is a town in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 37,000 inhabitants, making it the most populated Czech town without city status. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monume ...

–

Postoloprty Postoloprty (; ) is a town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,700 inhabitants. Administrative division Postoloprty consists of 13 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 cen ...

. The town is also the final station of the railway line from

Roudnice nad Labem Roudnice nad Labem (; ) is a town in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an Cultural monument (Czech Rep ...

. Historic trains run on it and it is only in operation during the summer tourist season on weekends.

Sights

Libochovice is known for the

Libochovice Castle Libochovice Castle () is a castle in the centre of Libochovice town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is one of the most significant early Baroque castles in the country. For its value, it is protected as a Cultural monumen ...

. It is a Rennaisance castle created by reconstruction of the former Gothic fortress. The castle park was founded in 1686. The Church of All Saints was originally a Gothic church from the 14th century. The tower was added in 1541. After it was destroyed by a fire in 1661, it was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1700–1705. The Jewish community is reminded of the cemetery, founded in 1583, and of part of the original houses of the Jewish quarter. The synagogue from the second half of the 18th century was demolished in 1985 and is commemorated by a memorial plaque.

Notable people

Jan Evangelista Purkyně Jan Evangelista Purkyně (; also written Johann Evangelist Purkinje) (17 or 18 December 1787 – 28 July 1869) was a Czech anatomist and physiologist. In 1839, he coined the term " protoplasma" for the fluid substance of a cell. He was one of th ...

(1787–1869), anatomist and physiologist *

Ábrahám Lederer Abraham Lederer (; January 9, 1827, Libochovice, Bohemia – September 17, 1916, Budapest) was an educator and writer in Austria-Hungary. Life He was born in Libochovice, Bohemia. In 1840 he went to Prague, where he studied at the Teach ...

(1827–1916), Czech-Hungarian educator and writer *

Berta Fanta Berta Fanta (née Sohr; May 19, 1865 – December 18, 1918), was a literary and intellectual figure from Prague. She was at the centre of the Prague intelligentsia with a "salon" meeting at her house. Life Berta was born in 1865 to a well-of ...

(1865–1918), intellectual and feminist *

Eliška Purkyňová Eliška Purkyňová (16 November 1868 – 22 October 1933) was a Czechoslovakian politician. In 1920 she was one of the first group of women elected to the Chamber of Deputies. Biography Purkyňová was born Alžběta Josefa Čapková in Liboch ...

(1868–1933), politician *

Václav Vacek Václav Vacek (11 September 187718 January 1960) was a Czech communist politician. He served as a Senator in the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia and after the Prague Uprising as the Mayor of Prague. He was also a founding member of the Commun ...

(1877–1960), writer and politician,

Mayor of Prague The office of Mayor of Prague was established in 1784. In that year, under Joseph II, the four previously independent neighbouring communities of Malá Strana, Nové Město, Staré Město, and Hradčany were merged into a single entity. Since ...

Josef Kopta Josef Kopta (16 June 1894 in Libochovice, Bohemia – 3 April 1962 in Prague) was a Czech writer and journalist. Before World War I, Kopta worked as a bank clerk. In 1914 he was sent to the Eastern front, in 1915 taken prisoner and later joined C ...

(1894–1962), writer and journalist

References

External links

*
Libochovice CastleArticle about Libochovice Jews
{{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Litoměřice District Jewish communities in the Czech Republic