Letohrad

Letohrad (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɛtoɦrat]; until 1950 called Kyšperk; German: Geiersberg) is a town in the Ústí nad Orlicí District, Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 6,500 inhabitants. The town lies beneath Orlice Mountains, on the river Tichá Orlice.

Letohrad
Town
Letohrad Castle
Flag Coat of arms
Letohrad Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°2′9″N 16°29′56″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Pardubice
District	Ústí nad Orlicí
First mentioned	1308
Government
• Mayor	Petr Fiala
Area
• Total	23.55 km^2 (9.09 sq mi)
Elevation	372 m (1,220 ft)
Population  (2019-01-01[1])
• Total	6,402
• Density	270/km^2 (700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	561 51
Website	www.letohrad.eu

Villages Červená, Kunčice and Orlice are administrative parts of Letohrad.

History

Kyšperk

The first mention in a written document comes from 1308 – during the reign of a weak king the castle Geiersberg[2] harbored villain noblemen harassing their neighbourhood. In 1513 Kyšperk was first mentioned as a town. During the last quarter of the 17th century, the owner of the town Hynek Jetřich Vitanovský from Vlčkovice greatly improved its state: he ordered to rebuild the fortress into a baroque palace, founded a baroque church of St. Wenceslas (this church is beautifully decorated with fabulous plasters (stucco) by the Italian master Giovanni Maderna), handcraftsmen were allowed to establish guilds, and a hospital for poor and old people was founded. The large fire from 1824 burned down 76 houses. In 1874 a railway crossed Kyšperk, starting the growth of industry in the town.

Červená village

The village was called Rotnek until 1950. It is separated from the rest of the town by a cliff called Hrubý Kámen with a cross on its top.

Kunčice village

The village was first mentioned in a written document from 1292. In 1685 a brick church building was founded. It was rebuilt in 1761. Castelet Ovčín was built in 1686. From the second half of the 19th century until 1922, a phosphorus matches manufacture existed here. The village became a part of Letohrad in 1950.

Orlice village

The place was first mentioned in a written document from 1361 (a small fortress existed here) under its original name Pratum (in Latin). Since 1406 it has been called Orlice. The village has an old church building which was burned down during the Hussite Wars and for the last time was rebuilt in 1711. Since the end of the 19th century, several textile factories have been built here.

Letohrad today

The main source of employment after World War II have been electrotechnical industry and production of construction materials, as well as agriculture. Paneláks were built to provide housing. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 the historical centre of the town was renovated.

The town tries to attract tourists with cultural festivals, sport events and rich collection of historical sights.

Main attractions of the town

• Letohrad Castle [3]
• Wenceslas's Square [4] with dominating baroque Marian Plaque Column [5]
• Chapel of St. Jan Nepomuk [6]
• Municipal Museum [7] and Museum of Handcrafts [8]
• Park [9]

Notable people

• František Vladislav Hek (1769–1847), early activist of Czech National Revival, died here
• Alfons Mucha (1860–1939), painter, lived and worked in this town in 1934–35
• Josef Korbel (1909–1977), diplomat, father of US politician Madeleine Albright, born here

Twin towns — sister cities

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

Letohrad is twinned with:[10]

• Daruvar, Croatia
• Hausen am Albis, Switzerland
• Niemcza, Poland

References

1. "Population of municipalities of the Czech republic". Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
2. More precisely, according to the Chronicon Aulae Regiae, the place is called "Geyrsberg". In the chronicle itself, merely the lord of the castle, Jenisius de Geyrsberg, is mentioned. Look it up yourself in Chapter CVII of the Liber Primus: Chronicon Aulae Regiae
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-11. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-13. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-11. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-12. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-13. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-11. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-11-13. Retrieved 2005-10-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Letohrad. Retrieved 2019-08-26.

External links

• Municipal website (in Czech)
• Town museum, town history details at the Wayback Machine (archived 2005-04-07)