Husinec (; ) is a town in Prachatice District in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, 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 ...

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 1,400 inhabitants. It is known as the birthplace of one of the main figures in Czech history,

Jan Hus Jan Hus (; ; 1369 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czechs, Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and t ...

. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Administrative division

Husinec consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Husinec (1,227) *Horouty (13) *Výrov (113)

Etymology

The name is derived from the Czech word ''husa'' (i.e. '

goose A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egy ...

'), meaning "the dwelling of the geese". The naming of the settlement was most likely figurative.

Geography

Husinec is located about north of

Prachatice Prachatice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monumen ...

and west of

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

. It lies in the

Bohemian Forest Foothills Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a fa ...

. The highest point is a contour line below the top of the hill Výrovčice, at above sea level. The Blanice River flows through the town. South of the town proper is the Husinec Reservoir, built on the Blanice. It was built in 1935–1939 for flood protection. It has an area of .

History

According to chroniclers, in 942, Duke Boleslaus I sent all the people to the local landscape who did not want to accept the Christian faith to pan for gold, from which the duke demanded

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

. The first written mention of Husinec is from 1291 when Heinrich Vok of Borek and Husinec declared his rights to the area at the District Court. In 1359, the village was promoted to a town. In the 14th century, the Hus castle in the area of today's Záblatí was built and Husinec was attached to its newly established estate. In 1390, the Hus Castle and estate were taken by Sigismund of Huller and Orlík, a supporter of King

Wenceslaus IV Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he was deposed in 1400. As he ...

and eventually state treasurer and King's advisor. Caught falsifying documents, however, he was beheaded. The castle was left for his brother Andreas. A short time later he sold it to Knight

Mikuláš of Hus Mikuláš of Hus ( ; died 24 December 1420) was a Bohemian politician and leading representative of the Hussite movement. He died unexpectedly on 24 December 1420, leaving the position of first captain of the Taborites open to Jan Žižka J ...

, who died in 1420. The abandoned castle was taken and plundered by the robber baron Habart from Hrádek, or Lopata from Budějovice, known as "the merchant of the Golden Trail". On 8 September 1441, landowners from surrounding towns joined together to attack and burn the castle. In 1455, Knight Smílek of Lnáře sold his allegiance to

Ulrich II of Rosenberg Ulrich () is a Germanic given name derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements '' uodal-'' meaning "heritage" and ''-rih'' meaning "king, ruler". Attested from the 8th century as the name of Alamannic nobi ...

, bringing Husinec under the rule of Vimperk. The economy of Husinec was dependent upon the trade produced by the Golden Trail trade route. Goods transported on the route included, primarily, salt, expensive clothes, wine, seafood, tropical fruits, spices, iron, and weapons. In 1601,

Peter Vok of Rosenberg Peter Vok of Rosenberg (; 1 October 1539 – 6 November 1611) was a nobleman of the House of Rosenberg, descended from the Vítkovci. Rožmberk was a leading Protestant in the unsettled years before Battle of White Mountain. Life Peter Vok was ...

sold Husinec to the

Kolowrat family The House of Kolowrat is a Czech noble familyHouse of Kolowrat history
kolowrat.cz/en. Citation: " < ...

. In 1630, the estate was acquired by Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg. After the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

, many residents of Husinec who were followers of the reformer Jan Hus and his teachings emigrated abroad. From 1655 to 1848, Husinec fell under the control of the

House of Schwarzenberg The House of Schwarzenberg () is a German (Franconian Circle, Franconian) and Czech (Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemian) aristocratic family, formerly one of the most prominent European noble houses. The Schwarzenbergs are members of the German nobili ...

. In 2007, Husinec was restored its status of a town.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The birthplace of

is a national cultural monument. The originally Gothic house has been open to the public since 1873. There is also the statue of Jan Hus on the town square. The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a parish church from 1804. It was built after the original Gothic church was burned down in 1802. The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is a neo-Romanesque cemetery church. It was built in 1870.

Notable people

(–1415), theologian, philosopher and reformer * Johann Pehel (1852–1926), composer

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Prachatice District Prácheňsko