Kaplice
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Kaplice (; ) is a town in
Český Krumlov District Český Krumlov District () is a Okres, district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Český Krumlov. Administrative division Český Krumlov District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#M ...
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 7,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.


Administrative division

Kaplice consists of 11 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Kaplice (6,019) *Blansko (378) *Dobechov (15) *Hradiště (45) *Hubenov (109) *Květoňov (8) *Mostky (72) *Pořešín (163) *Pořešínec (40) *Rozpoutí (68) *Žďár (77)


Etymology

The name of the town is derived from Czech word ''kaplice'', which meant "small church" or "chapel". The origin of the name is connected with Church of the Virgin Mary serving for Czech minority in the region, which stood on the site of today's Church of St. Florian.


Geography

Kaplice is located about southeast of
Český Krumlov Český Krumlov (; , ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. It is known as a tourist centre, which is among the most visited places in the country. The historic centre ...
and south 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 Gratzen Foothills. The highest point is the hill Hradišťský vrch at above sea level. The
Malše The Malše () is a river in the Czech Republic and Austria, a right tributary of the Vltava River. It flows through Upper Austria and the South Bohemian Region. It is long. Etymology The name is derived from the personal name Malch. The land thro ...
River flows through the town. There are several fishponds in the municipal territory.


History


Middle Ages

The first written mention of Kaplice is in a deed of
Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death. Early career He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne, Italy, Jenne (now in the Province of Rome ...
from 1257, according to which it was property of the monastery in
Milevsko Milevsko (; ) is a town in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Milevsko consists of six municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): ...
. It was founded as the market village on an important trade route, connecting
Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...
with South Bohemia. The advantageous position was the main factor of its rapid development. In the 13th century, it became a part of the Pořešín estate, founded by
Bavors of Strakonice Bavorové ze Strakonic (Bavors of Strakonice) were a Bohemian nobility, noble family, rulers of Strakonice town and surrounding area. Members of the family include: *Bavor I *Bavor II, Bavor II, Bavor the Great *Bavor III *Vilém of Strakonice * ...
. In 1382, Kaplice became a town with all the town privileges, but remained under the influence of lords of Pořešín until 1387. After both Kaplice and Pořešín were acquired by
Oldřich II of Rosenberg Oldřich II of Rosenberg (Czech: ; 13 January 1403 – 28 April 1462) was an important Bohemian nobleman who, after the Battle of Lipany, became a recognized leader of the Catholic lords in Bohemia. Biography Oldřich II increased the power of t ...
, he let the Pořešín Castle burn down in 1434, so that he would not have to invest in it and pay for servants. By the end of the 15th century, the town population had become German-speaking. After the Rosenbergs died out, the estate was inherited by the Schwambergs, then it was acquired by Charles Bonaventure, Count of Bucquoy. The town obtained a number of privileges which positively influenced its economic development. Nevertheless, this development had many times in the past been seriously afflicted with such catastrophes as frequent fires, desolation and robberies during the wars, especially during the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
.


Austrian monarchy

After the abolition of
serfdom Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...
, the town became the seat of the political and judicial district in the new administrative system. Until 1918, the town was part of
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, head of the district of the same name, one of the 94 ''Bezirkshauptmannschaften'' in
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
. The German name alone was used until the end of the 19th century. Co-existence of the German-speaking majority with the Czech minority in the town was peaceful and almost without any problem. However, the growth of nationalisms at the end of the 19th century, and especially in the first half of the 20th century, raised the first serious conflicts.


First Czechoslovak Republic

After the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Kaplice became part of the
First Czechoslovak Republic The First Czechoslovak Republic, often colloquially referred to as the First Republic, was the first Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak state that existed from 1918 to 1938, a union of ethnic Czechs and Slovaks. The country was commonly called Czechosl ...
. Kaplice citizens with German majority refused to recognize the border of the new Czechoslovakia and wanted to join the territory to
German-Austria The Republic of German-Austria (, alternatively spelt ), commonly known as German-Austria (), was an unrecognised state that was created following World War I as an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic ...
. Their organized armed resistance was suppressed and they did not succeed. In 1919, Kaplice became the administrative centre of the area which included
Vyšší Brod Vyšší Brod (; ) is a town in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,600 inhabitants. It is the southernmost municipality in the Czech Republic. Vyšší Brod Monastery, an important historica ...
and Nové Hrady, but for its low population it was recognized only 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 ...
. In 1937, it was again promoted to a town. During the first republic, Kaplice remained a town with a majority of German inhabitants. In 1938, on the basis of the
Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...
, Kaplice were annexed by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and administered as a part of
Reichsgau Oberdonau The Reichsgau Upper Danube (German: '' Reichsgau Oberdonau'') was an administrative division of Nazi Germany, created after the Anschluss (annexation of Austria) in 1938 and dissolved in 1945. It consisted of what is today Upper Austria, parts of ...
. The Czech population had to flee.


After World War II

After the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Kaplice fell back again to
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
. Former Czech inhabitants returned and the German population was expelled. The town depopulated. In 1960, Kaplice District was abolished. The town began to develop again in the 1960s. New schools, industrial factories and housing estates were built here and the population increased. In 1994, Střítež separated and became an independent municipality.


Demographics


Economy

The largest employer based in the town is Engel strojírenská, a manufacturer of machines for processing plastics. It employs more than 1,000 people.


Transport

The I/3 road (part of the
European route E55 European route E55 is an E-route. It starts in southern Sweden, crosses the Øresund strait to Denmark, and passes through more water (the western Baltic Sea) to reach continental Europe on Rostock, Germany. Thence it continues further southwar ...
), specifically the section from České Budějovice to the Czech-Austrian border in
Dolní Dvořiště Dolní Dvořiště () is a municipality and village in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. Administrative division Dolní Dvořiště consists of eight municipal parts (in b ...
, runs next to the town. The
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...
railway line passes through the territory of Kaplice only briefly. The town is served by a railway station called ''Kaplice'', which is located in the territory of neighbouring Střítež.


Sights

The oldest buildings in Kaplice are the two churches, which unusually stand side by side. Both are built in the late Gothic style. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is documented in 1383. The Church of Saint Florian was built in 1507 and replaced a church destroyed by a fire. The centre of Kaplice is a square with Renaissance town hall. Its current appearance is from 1852. The tower is a remnant of Baroque reconstruction. Other sights on the square list a stone fountain from 1646 with a
pillory The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, used during the medieval and renaissance periods for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. ...
, a Renaissance house decorated with
sgraffito (; ) is an artistic or decorative technique of scratching through a coating on a hard surface to reveal parts of another underlying coating which is in a contrasting colour. It is produced on walls by applying layers of plaster tinted in con ...
, and a large building of the former brewery with a Renaissance stone
bossage Bossage is uncut stone that is laid in place in a building, projecting outward from the building, to later be carved into decorative moldings, capitals, arms, etc. Bossages are also rustic work, consisting of stones which seem to advance beyond ...
d portal. The ruin of Pořešín Castle is open to the public. It includes a small castle museum.


Notable people

*
David Drahonínský David Drahonínský (born 19 May 1982) is a Czech paralympic archer. He is a double Paralympic champion, three-time European champion and World champion in individual and team events with Tereza Brandtlová Tereza Brandtlová (born 21 Novembe ...
(born 1982), paralympic archer


Twin towns – sister cities

Kaplice is twinned with: *
Freistadt Freistadt (, ) is a small Austrian town in the state of Upper Austria in the region Mühlviertel. With a population of approximately 7,500 residents, it is a trade centre for local villages. Freistadt is the economic centre of a district of the sa ...
, Austria


References


External links

*
Information portal of Kaplice
{{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Český Krumlov District