Bechyně
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Bechyně (; german: Bechin, Beching or ''Bechingen'') is a town in
Tábor District Tábor District ( cs, okres Tábor) is a district ('' okres'') within South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Tábor. List of municipalities Balkova Lhota - Bechyně - Bečice - Běleč - Borkovice - '' Borotín' ...
in the
South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region ( cs, Jihočeský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western part ...
of the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. It has about 4,900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.


Administrative parts

Villages of Hvožďany and Senožaty are administrative parts of Bechyně.


Geography

Bechyně is located about southwest of
Tábor Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The followi ...
. It lies in the
Tábor Uplands Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The followi ...
. The town lies on a promontory above the confluence of the river Lužnice river and Smutná brook. Another brook called Židova strouha also flows into the river in the municipal territory.


History

The area of today's town was settled already in prehistorical era. The oldest evidence of settlement in this area comes from late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
(c. 1800–1600 BC). In the 8th or 9th century, a Slavic gord was built here. The first written mention of Bechyně is from around 1120 from ''
Chronica Boemorum The ''Chronica Boemorum'' (Chronicle of the Czechs, or Bohemians) is the first Latin chronicle in which the history of the Czech lands has been consistently and relatively fully described. It was written in 1119–1125 by Cosmas of Prague. The ...
'', when there was written about settlement of the Bechyně gord in 993. In 1268, Bechyně was boughts by King
Ottokar II of Bohemia Ottokar II ( cs, Přemysl Otakar II.; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his deat ...
, who decided to have a stone castle built here. In 1323, King
John of Bohemia John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...
promoted the market village around the castle to a town, redefined its borders and have the fortification built. In 1422 and then again in 1428, the town was conquered and burned down by the
Hussites The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Hussit ...
. From 1340 to 1569, the town was alternately owned by various aristocratic families, including Sternbergs and Schwambergs. In 1569, Bechyně was acquired by
Peter Vok of Rosenberg Peter Vok of Rosenberg ( cs, Petr Vok z Rožmberka) (1 October 1539, Český Krumlov – 6 November 1611, Třeboň) was a Czech nobleman of the House of Rosenberg, descended from the Vítkovci. Rožmberk was a leading Protestant in the unsettled ...
, under whose rule the town experienced a renaissance boom and the reconstruction of the castle. In 1596, Peter Vok sold Bechyně to Adam of Sternberg. Bechyně was damaged and looted during the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
. The town recovered and grew up to the north. In the 18th century, it developed to a spa town.


Demographics


Economy

The economy is oriented to services. There are no major industrial employers.


Ceramic tradition

Ceramic tradition in Bechyně began in 15th century by small pottery shops. This ceramic tradition has evolved from pottery to a big sanitary ceramic factory of Schweizer Keramik Holding AG Laufen company.


Spa

Bechyně Spa is one of the oldest spas in the country. The first mention of the healing spring is from 1576, and in 1647, the first spa house was built. In 1727, healing effects were proven by water analysis, and in 1939, healing effects of local
peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...
were also discovered. Today the spa is specialized in body treatment using therapeutic mud. It treats
arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
and
osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...
,
ankylosing spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis characterized by long-term inflammation of the joints of the spine typically where the spine joins the pelvis. Occasionally areas affected may include other joints such as the shoulders or hip ...
, metabolic diseases affecting the joints, pre-operative and postoperative conditions, neurological disorders and many other diseases.


Transport

The town is the terminus of the
Tábor–Bechyně railway The Tábor–Bechyně railway was the first electrified railway line in the Czech Republic, opening in 1903. History The proposal for construction of the line was submitted to the Czech Diet in 1896. In 2020, it was announced that the line wo ...
line. This railway was built in 1903 and was the first electrified railway in the
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. The original passenger train is preserved and operates several times each summer. On the eastern part of Bechyně is a unique rail and road arch bridge, the
Bechyně Bridge Bechyně Bridge (also known as Bechyně Rainbow, rarely Rainbow Bridge) originally called the Jubilee Bridge, is a unique reinforced concrete arch bridge over the Lužnice river on the eastern edge of Bechyně in the South Bohemian Region of the ...
.


Education

There is the oldest vocational school of ceramics in Bohemia, which is still functioning. Among its famous student were people like
Karel Roden Karel Roden (born 18 May 1962) is a Czech actor, popularly known for his roles in ''Hellboy'' and ''The Bourne Supremacy'', and his voice work in '' Grand Theft Auto IV''. Life and career Roden followed his father and grandfather into acting. ...
,
Karel Kryl Karel Kryl (12 April 1944 – 3 March 1994) was an iconic Czechoslovak (Moravian born and Czech speaking) poet, singer-songwriter and author of many hit protest songs in which he identified and attacked the hypocrisy, stupidity and inhumanity of ...
or
Jan Kačer Jan Kačer (born 3 October 1936) is a Czech actor and film director. He appeared in more than sixty films since 1960. Life He studied acting at DAMU. He was an actor and a director in The Drama Club and later Theatre on the Balustrade. Kačer ...
.


Culture

Bechyně has a rich theatre tradition since 1855. Since 1990s there are five theatre festivals every year.


Sights

Bechyně Castle is the main landmark of the town. The castle was built in the 13th century, although almost none of that original structure remains today. In 1581, Peter Vok of Rosenberg let the late gothic castle rebuilt into a comfortable Renaissance residence with a rich fresco decoration. Bechyně Monastery was founded in the 15th century and built in the late Gothic style, after the previous monastery was burned down by Hussites in 1422. It is still the property of the Franciscan Order. The monastery complex include the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and a monastery garden open to the public. The Church of Saint Matthew is the landmark of the town square. It was built in the 13th century and rebuilt several times, most notably in the early 17th century. It has preserved interiors from 16th–18th centuries. The Church of Saint Michael is an early Baroque cemetery church from 1670. Today it serves cultural purposes. The
Firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
Museum is the oldest museum of its kind in Bohemia. It presents exponates up to 400 years old. The International Museum of Ceramics is located in the former brewery and in the adjacent castle bastions. It follows the history of the industry in Bechyně and includes exhibitions of artists from around the world. The Tourism Museum is located in the former synagogue and reflect tradition of tourism in the Czech Republic and activities of
Czech Tourist Club Czech Tourist Club ( cs, Klub českých turistů, KČT), known also as Czech Hiking Club was created in 1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the ...
. In the castle complex there is the
Vladimír Preclík Vladimír Preclík (23 May 1929 – 3 April 2008) was a Czech writer and sculptor. He was a prominent member of the Czech arts and cultural worlds for several decades. Preclík was born on 23 May 1929 in the city of Hradec Králové in eastern ...
Museum with works of this sculptor. In the town centre, there is the Town Museum Bechyně, which presents history of the town.


Bechyn, Minnesota

In the United States state of Minnesota is a little town called Bechyn, probably established by people from Bechyně who emigrated to the US to work there. They still say they have Czech origin and celebrate it every year by organizing "Czech Heritage Festival", where they keep old traditions.


Notable people

* Václav Pichl (1741–1805), classical composer * Ladislav Haškovec (1866–1944), neuropsychiatrist * Josefina Napravilová (1914–2014), humanitarian worker; lived in Bechyně at the end of her life *
Miroslav Kalousek Miroslav Kalousek (born 17 December 1960) is a Czech politician, former leader of KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, and has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies (MP) since 1998. He served twice as Finance Minister in the cabinets of Mirek Topolánek and th ...
(born 1960), politician, former Finance Minister; lives here


Twin towns – sister cities

Bechyně is twinned with: *
Heřmanův Městec Heřmanův Městec (; german: Hermannstädtel) is a town in Chrudim District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,700 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law a ...
, Czech Republic


References


External links

*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bechyne Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Tábor District Spa towns in the Czech Republic