Králíky

:"See other locations named Králíky."Geobox | Settlement
name = Králíky
other_name =
category = Town


image_caption =


image_caption =

---

symbol = Králíky.svg
etymology =
official_name =
motto =
nickname =
country = Czech Republic
country_

state =
region = Pardubice
region_type = Region
district = Ústí nad Orlicí
district_type = District
commune = Králíky
municipality =
part =
river =
location =
elevation = 550
lat_d = 50
lat_m = 5
lat_s = 1.83
lat_NS = N
long_d = 16
long_m = 45
long_s = 37.95
long_EW = E
highest =
highest_elevation =
highest_lat_d =
highest_long_d =
lowest =
lowest_elevation =
lowest_lat_d =
lowest_long_d =
area = 52.78
area_round = 2
population = 4651
population_date = 2006-10-02
population_density = auto
established =
established_type =
mayor = Jana Ponocná
timezone =

---

map_background = Czechia - background map.png map_caption = Location in the Czech Republic
map_locator = Czechia
commons = Králíky
statistics = [http://www.statnisprava.cz/ebe/ciselniky.nsf/i/580481 statnisprava.cz]
website = [http://www.kraliky.cz/ www.kraliky.cz]
footnotes =

Králíky (IPA2|ˈkra:li:kɪ; _de. Grulich) is a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 4,700 inhabitants.

Villages

Villages: Červený Potok (Rothfloß), Dolní Boříkovice (Niederullersdorf), Dolní Hedeč (Niederheidisch), Dolní Lipka (Niederlipka), Heřmanice (Hermsdorf), Horní Boříkovice (Oberullersdorf), Horní Hedeč (Oberheidisch), Horní Lipka (Oberlipka), Kopeček (Muttergottesberg) und Prostřední Lipka (Mittellipka) are administrative parts of Králíky (Grulich).

History

The oldest recorded mention of Grulich dates back to 1367. It is a record preserved in the country's tables of law, by which Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, presented the castle of Žampach and "The mountain of Grulich" (montana in Greylichs) belonging to it to Čeněk of Potštejn. However, this record concerns only some unspecified mines. The proper town came into being as late as the 16th century and the first record dates to 1568. In 1577 the town and ten neighbouring villages were bought by Zdeněk von Waldstein (his great-nephew was a famous commander in the 30 years´ war Albrecht von Wallenstein). Zdeněk von Waldstein chose the town of Grulich as the residence of his new manor and began to develop it. Except the manor house, vicarage and Protestant oratory (today's church of St. Michael Archangel), he had the square built into today's shape and to his request Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, granted the town a privilege to hold three annual fairs. In the surroundings iron ore was probably mined and perhaps silver, and at that time the town was supposed to get two crossed mining hammers with a sword into its heraldry. There was an attempt to revive mining in the 17th century but it is believed to have been unsuccessful. The industry has never been restarted.

Near the curative springs above the town, Bishop Tobias Johannes Becker, a native of Grulich, had in the years of 1696-1710 a monumental pilgrimage complex (Muttergottesberg) built. A lot of visitors came to this pilgrimage place and poor inhabitants of the Grulich region made a living from these pilgrimages. Production and sale of souvenirs boomed. Woodcarving began to develop, and Christmas cribs and wooden characters that have found their way all over the world are reminders of this. The Christmas cribs were even sold in America as "the genuine Wiener cribs". Organ building and weaving also developed. Many cathedrals and churches all over Bohemia feature organs from the organ masters of Grulich, one of the greatest being in Prague's Loreta.

Weaving played an important role in the originating of a textile tradition, and Grulich canvas was successfully sold all over the country. One of the most important markets became Brno and from there the canvas found its way also to markets in Vienna.

In the 18th century the town suffered from fires, plague and wars. Though no major battles took place in the region the town suffered from the crossings of armies. Fights, plunderings and bribery took place here, as well as in other parts of the country. During the biggest fires in the years 1708 and 1767 a major part of the town burned down, including the most important buildings. The original wooden houses were replaced by stone ones. After Glatz in Silesia was surrendered to Prussia many of its inhabitants moved to Grulich and the town began to grow.

In 1791 Grulich became the residence of a regulated magistrate. During a land re-organisation in 1850 the district law court, tax office and land office were established in Grulich. The district law court had worked with several short breaks for almost 100 years.

The originally German population was expelled in 1945 and replaced by Czech settlers.

Famous people

* Tobias Johannes Becker, bishop of Königgrätz
* Wilhelm Öhl (1860-1936), writer
* Guido Franz Rotter (1860-1940), founded 1884 the first German Youth hostel

External links

* [http://www.kraliky.cz/englisch/index_en.php Municipal website] (cz, en, de, pl)