Jilemnice

Jilemnice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjɪlɛmɲɪtsɛ]; German: Starkenbach) is a town in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,400 inhabitants. It lies on the foothills of the Krkonoše. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Jilemnice
Town
Masarykovo Square, historic centre
Flag
Coat of arms
Jilemnice
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°36′34″N 15°30′23″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionLiberec
DistrictSemily
First mentioned1356
Government
 • MayorDavid Hlaváč
Area
 • Total13.86 km2 (5.35 sq mi)
Elevation
451 m (1,480 ft)
Population
 (2021-01-01)[1]
 • Total5,417
 • Density390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
514 01
Websitewww.mestojilemnice.cz

Administrative parts
Church of Saint Lawrence
Town hall

Villages of Hrabačov and Javorek are administrative parts of Jilemnice.

History

Jilemnice was founded at the beginning of the 14th century as an economic centre of an extensive Štěpanice manor owned by the Waldstein family. The regular ground plan of the historic centre indicates that the town was probably founded on a green field. Because of its secluded location, the town developed in a slower pace than other towns in fertile inland. However, Jilemnice's isolation protected the town against serious war damage for years. The town development was even more restricted from 1492 when the Waldstein family divided the manor into two parts.[2]

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the main economic activities were ore mining and linen production. During the Thirty Years' War the town was burned down by Swedish army and after the war, the town failed to follow up on the previous sources of livehood.[3]

In 1701, both parts of the manor were acquired and merged by the Harrach noble family. Since then, Jilemnice began to prosper again. Harrachs' progressive economic policy led to raising of local linen industry to the world level. During the first half of the 19th century, the linen industry gradually declined. In 1873, the Textile Industrial School was founded.[3]

Until 1918, Jilemnice was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), head of the district of the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[4]

Sights
Jilemnice Castle

The main landmark of the town is Jilemnice Castle. It is a Renaissance building from the 16th century, built on the site of a former keep. Between 1714 and 1895, it was gradually rebuilt into its present form. Today it houses the Krkonoše Museum.[5]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Jilemnice is twinned with:[6]

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2021". Czech Statistical Office. 2021-04-30.
  2. "Vítejte v Jilemnici". Město Jilemnice. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  3. "O městě" (in Czech). Město Jilemnice. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  4. Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
  5. "Zámek Jilemnice, Krkonoše" (in Czech). Region Krkonoše. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  6. "Úvodní strana" (in Czech). Město Jilemnice. Retrieved 2020-08-13.


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