Radnice () is a town in

Rokycany District Rokycany District () is a district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Rokycany. Administrative division Rokycany District is formed by only one administrative district of municipality with extended competence: ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region or Plzeňský Region (also known as Pilsen Region; ) is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the western part of the historical land of Bohemia and named after the capital, Plz ...

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 1,800 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Radnice consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Radnice (1,720) *Svatá Barbora (28)

Etymology

The word ''radnice'' means 'town hall' in modern Czech, however, this is just a coincidence. The name is derived from the personal name Raden, meaning "the village of Raden's people".

Geography

Radnice is located about north of

Rokycany Rokycany (; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monument zone. Admini ...

and northeast of

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

. It lies in the

Plasy Uplands Plasy (; ) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,900 inhabitants. It is known for its former monastery of the same name, which is protected as a national cultural monument. Administrative di ...

. The highest point is the hill Rovnička at above sea level. The stream Radnický potok flows through the town. The fishpond Městský rybník is located inside the built-up area.

History

The first written mention of Radnice is from 1336, when King

John of Bohemia John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...

sold it to the

Rosenberg family The House of Rosenberg ( or ''Páni z Rožmberka'') was a prominent Bohemian noble family that played an important role in Czech medieval history from the 13th century until 1611. Members of this family held posts at the Prague royal (and ...

. In 1478, Radnice was acquired by the Sternberg family. From 1541 to 1620, it was owned by the

Czernin family The Czernin family (; ) is a European noble family that was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the Kingdom of Bohemia. The family can claim descent from many important European noble families, including the distant one fro ...

. In 1570, Radnice was promoted to a town by Emperor Maximilian II. 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 ...

, properties of the Czernin family were confiscated, and Radnice changed owners several times. 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 ...

, the town was looted several times. From 1758 until the abolition of manorialsm, Radnice was again property of the Rosenbergs. In the 19th century, coal mining developed in vicinity of Radnice igniting industrial development. In 1893, the railway was built. Radnice coal basin was depleted in 1986.

Demographics

Transport

The railway line from

terminates in the town.

Sights

The main landmark of the town centre is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus. It was originally a medieval church, first mentioned in 1385. It was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style around 1720, probably according to the design by

Jakub Auguston Jakub Auguston Jr. (born Giacomo Agustoni; 1665–1670 – 3 August 1735) was a Czech Baroque architect of Italian descent. He lived in Plzeň and worked in entire West Bohemia. Life Giacomo Agustoni was born in Rome between 1665 and 1670 (som ...

. On the hill above the town there is the Chapel of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, designed by

Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer (; 1 September 1689 – 18 December 1751) was a German Bohemians, German Bohemian architect of the Baroque architecture, Baroque era. He is among the most prolific and renowned architects of his era in Bohemia. He was bo ...

. It was built in the Baroque style around 1735. The way to the chapel is lined with

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

. The former synagogue is a well preserved late Baroque building from the end of the 18th century. The most important Jewish monument is the cemetery with 210 preserved tombstones. The cemetery includes many artistically valuable tombstones, the oldest of which dates from 1734. The cemetery was used until 1935. The town museum is located in a valuable house from the first third of the 18th century. The museum bears the name of its founder, teacher Josef Hylák, and focuses on the ethnography, history and nature of Radnice and its surroundings.

Notable people

Isaac Mayer Wise Isaac Mayer Wise (29 March 1819 – 26 March 1900) was an American Reform rabbi, editor, and author. Early life Wise was born on 29 March 1819 in Steingrub in Bohemia (today Lomnička, a part of Plesná in the Czech Republic). He was the son ...

(1819–1900), American Reform rabbi; worked here in 1843–1846 * Joseph Lewi (1820–1897), American physician * Václav Kotva (1922–2004), actor

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Rokycany District Jewish communities in the Czech Republic