Tachov District
Tachov District () is a district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Tachov.
Administrative division
Tachov District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Tacho ...
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 8,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the Renaissance Stříbro bridge is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Stříbro consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Stříbro (7,134)
*Butov (13)
*Jezerce (30)
*Lhota u Stříbra (89)
*Milíkov (80)
*Otročín (37)
*Těchlovice (136)
Etymology
The Czech name derives from '
silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
' (), which used to be mined there. The German name ''Mies'' comes from the name of the Mže river.
Geography
Stříbro is located about east of
Tachov
Tachov (; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Mže River. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Tachov ...
and west 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 Jirná at above sea level. The
Mže
The Mže (; ) is a river in the Czech Republic and shortly in Germany. It flows through Bavaria in Germany and through the Plzeň and Central Bohemian regions. It is the upper course of the Berounka, but usually is considered a separate river. U ...
River flows through the town. The confluence of the Mže and
Úhlavka
The Úhlavka is a river in the Czech Republic, a right tributary of the Mže River. It flows through the Plzeň Region. It is long.
Etymology
The name is a diminutive form of Úhlava, which is a river in the same region.
Characteristic
The Úhl ...
rivers is located on the southern outskirts of the town. A part of the Hracholusky Reservoir, built on the Mže, lies in the eastern part of the municipal territory.
History
According to the 16th century chronicler
Wenceslaus Hajek
Wenceslaus Hájek of Libočany (, , ; late 15th century – 18 March 1553) was a Bohemian chronicler. He was author of famous '' Bohemian Chronicle'' (1541), also called the ''Hájek's Chronicle''. This work served as the main source of Czech histo ...
, the mining settlement in the
Duchy of Bohemia
The Duchy of Bohemia, also later referred to in English as the Czech Duchy, (Old Czech: ) was a monarchy and a Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, principality of the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages, Early and High M ...
Soběslav I
Soběslav (; ) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, ur ...
in 1131. The first written mention of Stříbro is in a deed of Duke
Frederick Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Given name
Nobility
= Anhalt-Harzgerode =
* Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
= Austria =
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...
from 1183. It was a
mining settlement
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry.
Historical mining communities Australia
* Ballarat, Victoria
* Bendigo ...
located on an important trade route (''Zlatá cesta'', "Golden Road") from
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 ...
to
Nuremberg
Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
.
Silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
and later mainly
lead
Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
were mined here, which accelerated the growth of the settlement.
Between 1240 and 1250, the foundations of the new royal town were laid on a rocky
promontory
A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the s ...
above the old settlement. Stříbro received
town privileges
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...
in 1263.
During the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
, the town was besieged by the troops of
Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czechs, Czech military leader and Knight who was a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus, and a prominent Radical Hussite who led the Taborites, Taborite faction during the Hu ...
in 1421, though it was not occupied until in 1426. Shortly afterwards, the
Hussite
file:Hussitenkriege.tif, upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century
file:The Bohemian Realm during the Hussite Wars.png, upright=1.2, The Lands of the ...
forces under
Prokop the Great
Prokop the Great (, ) or Prokop the Bald or the Shaven (, ) (c. 1380 – 30 May 1434) was a Czech Hussite general and a prominent Taborite military leader during the Hussite Wars. On his mother's side, he came from a German patrician family l ...
could repel an attack by the Crusaders in the
Battle of Tachov
The Battle of Tachov () or Battle of Mies () was fought on 4 August 1427 near the Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemian towns of Tachov (''Tachau'') and Stříbro (''Mies'').
It was part of the Hussite Wars, and it was the first battle in which war wag ...
. In 1541 the citizens turned
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
. Silver mining was resumed under the King Ferdinand I in 1554. Upon 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 ...
, the town was subdued to the measures of the
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
.
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 ...
and the administrative centre of a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
with 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 ...
. From 1918, Stříbro belonged 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 ...
. After
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 ...
, the remaining
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
European route E50
European route E50 is an A-type east–west connection across the European continent. It connects the key naval port of Brest in France with Makhachkala, on the Caspian Sea in the Russian republic Dagestan.
Outlook
Half the route comprises hi ...
) from Plzeň to the Czech-German border in
Rozvadov
Rozvadov () is a municipality and village in Tachov District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants. Located on the Czech-German border, the municipality is known for one of the busiest road border crossings in the ...
runs south of the town, outside the municipal territory.
Stříbro is a railway junction. The town lies on interregional lines
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 ...
–
Cheb
Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River.
Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...
, Plzeň–
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...
and
Františkovy Lázně
Františkovy Lázně (; ) is a spa town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,600 inhabitants. Together with neighbouring Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně, it forms the West Bohemian Spa Triangle. Th ...
–
Bohumín
Bohumín (; , ) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants.
Administrative division
Bohumín consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 202 ...
.
Sights
Among the most valuable monuments is the Gothic-Renaissance Stříbro bridge. It has one preserved gate, built in 1555–1560.
The original town hall building, whose appearance has not been preserved, was replaced in 1543 by the current Renaissance building. The
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 ...
decoration dates from 1823–1888.
The Church of All Saints was originally a sanctuary, which disappeared in a late Gothic reconstruction from 1565. The other parts date from 1754–1757, when the building was remodeled in the Baroque style. The church tower serves as lookout tower open to the public.
There are still preserved fragments of town walls, which surrounded the old town in a large circle. They include the so-called Jewish Gate, which made it possible to enter the Jewish quarter.
The mining open-air museum with an outdoor exhibition of mining equipment shows the mining tradition in Stříbro and in whole country.
Notable people
*
Jacob of Mies
Jacob of Mies (, ; 1372 – 9 August 1429) was a Czech reformer from the Kingdom of Bohemia and colleague of Jan Hus.
Life
Jacob was born in 1372 in Stříbro (called ''Mies'' in German and ''Misa'' in Latin) near Plzeň in Bohemia (present-day ...
(1372–1429), reformer
*
Vincent Houška
Vincent Houška or Hauschka (21 January 1766 in Mies, Bohemia – 1840 in Vienna) was a composer and musician who played mandolin and cello. He was good enough a musician that he was able to tour Europe and give concerts.
Hauska was a son of ...
Ernst Streeruwitz
Ernst Streeruwitz (born Ernst Streer Ritter von Streeruwitz 23 September 1874 in Mies – 19 October 1952 in Vienna) was an Austrian military officer, businessman, political scientist and politician. A member of the industrialist wing of the Ch ...
(1874–1952), Austrian military officer, businessman and politician
Fano
Fano () is a city and ''comune'' of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort southeast of Pesaro, located where the ''Via Flaminia'' reaches the Adriatic Sea. It is the third city in the region by pop ...
, Italy
*
Moncoutant
Moncoutant () is a former commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Moncoutant-sur-Sèvre.Oelsnitz, Germany
*
Vohenstrauß
Vohenstrauß (or ''Vohenstrauss''; ) is a town in Germany, located in the north-eastern part of the Bavarian region Upper Palatinate. The town is situated in the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab. It is the birthplace of Heribert Illig.
Dist ...
, Germany
Gallery
Stříbro (10).jpg, Panorama of the town centre
Stříbro (1).jpg, Renaissance bridge with the town gate
Stříbro (11).jpg, Masarykovo Square with a fountain and Marian column
Stříbro (3).jpg, Church of All Saints
Stříbro (2).jpg, Town hall garden
Stříbro (4).jpg, Garden of the Franciscan monastery