Bystřice nad Pernštejnem (; german: Bistritz ob Pernstein) is a town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the

Vysočina Region The Vysočina Region (; cs, Kraj Vysočina "Highlands Region", , ) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located partly in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia and partly in the south-west of the his ...

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 7,800 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Villages of Bratrušín, Divišov, Domanín, Domanínek, Dvořiště, Karasín, Kozlov, Lesoňovice, Pivonice, Rovné and Vítochov are administrative parts.

Etymology

The name Bystřice is derived from ''bystřina'', which is a term for a steep, fast flowing stream. The local watercourse was originally called Říčka (i.e. "small river") and later renamed after the town. In 1881, ''nad Pernštýnem'' was added to the name to distinguish from other places with the same name, and in 1825 it was modified to ''nad Pernštejnem''. It refers to the nearby

Pernštejn Castle Pernštejn Castle ( cs, hrad Pernštejn, from german: Bernstein, originally from ''Bärenstein'') is a castle in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It lies on a rock above the village of Nedvědice and the rivers Svratka and Nedv� ...

Geography

Bystřice nad Pernštejnem is located about east of

Žďár nad Sázavou Žďár nad Sázavou (; german: Saar) is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is situated on a major rail link between Prague and Brno. The town both industrial and tourist centre. It is known ...

and northwest of Brno. It lies on the small river Bystřice. On the north, the municipal territory borders Vír I Reservoir. Žďár nad Sázavou lies in the

Upper Svratka Highlands The Upper Svratka Highlands ( cs, Hornosvratecká vrchovina, german: Hohe Schwarza Bergeland) is a mountain range in Moravia, Czech Republic. The Highlands, together with the Křižanov Highlands threshold, form the Western-Moravian part of Moldan ...

. The highest point is Přední skála, at .

History

The first written mention of Bystřice is from 1238. It was founded by Lords of Medlov during the colonization in the 13th century. In the 14th century, it became the administrative, economic and commercial centre of the surrounding villages in Pernštejn dominion. In 1348, it was first referred to 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 rural ...

. In 1446, Bystřice became a property of the Pernštejn family. During their rule, it gained various privileges and rapidly developed. Bystřice was promoted to a town by

Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hous ...

in 1580. By this occasion the town received its coat of arms. The owners of the town changed frequently after 1588 when it was sold by Jan V of Pernštejn. The prosperity was interrupted by frequent fires. The most destructive fires occurred in 1585, 1666 and 1841. In 1905, the town was connected by railway with

and

Tišnov Tišnov (; german: Tischnowitz) is a town in Brno-Country District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,200 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Hajánky, Hájek, Jamné and Pejškov are administrative parts ...

which contributed to development of local industry. The town also benefited from the development of uranium industry in Dolní Rožínka. The Jewish population disappeared as a result of

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

and after the World War II, it was not renewed.

Demographics

Sights

The Church of Saint Lawrence is as old as the town. Originally it was probably a Romanesque structure, rebuilt in the Gothuc style in the 14th century. In the 15th century, it was fortified. Last modifications were made in 1873. The town hall was first mentioned in 1493. It was rebuilt to its current form in 1808. Today the building houses the town museum.

Notable people

* Gustav Pfleger Moravský (1833–1875), writer and poet * Otto Eisler (1893–1968), architect

Twin towns – sister cities

Bystřice nad Pernštejnem is twinned with: *

Boguchwała Boguchwała (; uk, Боґух́вала) is a town in Rzeszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district of Gmina Boguchwała. It was officially granted town status on 1 January 2 ...

, Poland *

Crimmitschau Crimmitschau () is a town in the district of Zwickau in Saxony, Germany. Geography Crimmitschau lies on the river Pleiße in the northern foothills of the Erzgebirge. Neighboring municipalities Adjacent communities include: Zwickau, Dennherit ...

, Germany *

Vranov nad Topľou Vranov nad Topľou ( Slovak before 1927 and from 1944–1969: ''Vranov''; german: Frö(h)nel / ''Vronau an der Töpl'' (rare); hu, Varannó; rue, Воронів над Топлёв) is a city of approximately 22,500 inhabitants in eastern Sl ...

, Slovakia

Gallery

Bystřice nad P..JPG, Lower part of the town square Bystřice nad Pernštejnem - náměstí.jpg, Upper part of the town square Bystřice nad Pernštejnem - Morový sloup.jpg, Plague column on the town square

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bystrice nad Pernstejnem Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Žďár nad Sázavou District