- Kadaň
Geobox | Settlement
name = Kadaň
other_name =
category = Town
image_caption =
| flag_border = 1
symbol = KadanZnak.gif
etymology =
official_name =
motto =
nickname =
country = Czech Republic
country_
state =
region = Ústí nad Labem
region_type = Region
district = Chomutov
district_type = District
commune = Kadaň
municipality =
part =
river = Ohře
location =
elevation = 300
lat_d = 50
lat_m = 22
lat_s = 34
lat_NS = N
long_d = 13
long_m = 16
long_s = 17
long_EW = E
highest =
highest_elevation =
highest_lat_d =
highest_long_d =
lowest =
lowest_elevation =
lowest_lat_d =
lowest_long_d =
area = 65.62
area_round = 2
population = 18759
population_date = 2006-08-28
population_density = auto
established = 1183
established_type = First mentioned
mayor = Jiří Kulhánek
timezone =
map_background = Czechia - background map.png
map_caption = Location in the Czech Republic
map_locator = Czechia
commons = Kadaň
statistics = [http://www.statnisprava.cz/ebe/ciselniky.nsf/i/563102 statnisprava.cz]
website = [http://www.mesto-kadan.cz/ www.mesto-kadan.cz]
footnotes =Kadaň ( Audio-IPA|Cs-Kadan.ogg| [ˈkadaɲ] ; _de. Kaaden), is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the
Czech Republic .The city lies on the banks of the riverOhře . Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two large power plants nearby (Tušimice and Prunéřov). Kadaň is a tourist centre with highlights being the Franciscan Monastery and the historical square with late Gothic Town Hall Tower. It is also a town with the narrowest lane in the Czech Republic - Katova ulička with only 66.1 cm.History
Early history until the Thirty Years' War
There are legends accrediting the beginnings of the town to
Celt ic tribes. Others talk about a castle on "Úhošť" hill that might have been called Wogastisburg where a battle betweenFranks and Slavs occurred in631 . The battle ofCanburg in805 is also often mentioned in connection with the town, but is a mistake because locality of this name (Canburg - Kanina) is in Middle Bohemia.The first written record is, though, from the end of the 12th century - the Czech prince granted the "market town" of Kadaň to the
Knights of St. John . The Knights Hospitaller built the first church in Kadan -St. John the Baptist - which still stands in the part of town called Hospitaller Suburb, but is now in theBaroque style. In the 13th century the town was promoted to a "Royal City". It began to thrive and a new town was built on the heights above the river, with a castle and Franciscan monastery. There was a big fire in1362 . However, Emperor Charles IV who twice visited the city (1367 and 1374) granted it several municipal rights (home rule, a vineyard, and an annual market) that made it flourish again. The reign ofWenceslaus IV (Václav IV) produced the skilled clockmakerMikulas of Kadan ("Mikuláš z Kadaně"), who, together with mathematician and astronomer Jan Šindel, designed thePrague Orloj .The 15th century brought a new dimension to the history of Kadaň: the town and castle often used to be pledged to royal creditors. At the end of the rule of Jiří z Poděbrad first the town and later the castle was captured by
Jan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic (John of Lobkowitz and Hassenstein), who seemed to see Kadaň as a suitable capital for his dependent territories. The establishment and construction of the monastery of theFranciscans of strict observance, built as a family burial-place and later a pardon place ofFourteen Holy Helpers , may reflect his ambitions for the town. Jan Hasištejnský died in 1517 and is buried in the Church of Fourteen Holy Helpers. His tomb is still on display in the Church, now part of the municipal museum. The same year saw the beginning of theReformation in Germany, which had an immediate impact on the atmosphere in German speaking Kadaň. In1534 "Kadaň religious peace" was negotiated here betweenWürttemberg Protestants andFerdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor for the Catholic side. In theThirty Years' War during the next century, Kadaň suffered from fires and plundering by various armies on their way to the battlefields ofBohemia . After the war, the formerly Czech-German town became a monolingual German domain.The Age of Enlightenment until the 19th century
Institute).
The last great fire damaged the town in 1811 and since then the historic centre has retained its pattern. After the
Revolution of 1848 the let-down town became a district centre. The institute of the district town lasted in Kadaň for 110 years when it was affiliated withChomutov district. In the second half of the 19th century homeland study activities developed and a number of institutions, clubs and societies were established. The national composition of the Kadaň population was very explicit - over 90% German and only 3% Czech, with a Jewish community as well.20th century
At the start of the 20th century, the "Society of Friends of the Museum in Kaaden" decided to document the towns' history by opening a museum.
In the final weeks of
World War I ,Czechoslovakia was established on 28 October 1918, and most of the German border population was not enthusiastic about becoming part of a new republic with a clearly Slavonic definition. Instead, four regional self-governed states emerged along the borderland, according to the right forself determination guaranteed byWoodrow Wilson in no. 10 of hisFourteen Points . Kaaden, which was supposed to be called Kadaň in Czech, declared itself part ofGerman Bohemia . On 4 March 1919, the first assembly of theGerman Austria n parliament was the occasion for peaceful demonstrations in the German cities. In Kaaden, the result of the Czech Military forces suppressing the demonstrations forself determination was the bloodiest. According to SwissNeue Zürcher Zeitung report of 7 March 1919, in Kaaden 17 persons were killed, 30 badly wounded, and 80 wounded. Over all, 25 victims were buried in a memorial grave at the central cemetery. It was restored after the fall of communism in 1989.After the
Munich Agreement in later September 1938, Kaaden became part of ReichsgauSudetenland . The few local Czech people moved to central Czechoslovakia, while to the were expelled and the Jewish community was strongly oppressed. The synagogue was burnt down during theKristallnacht of November 9, 1939. According toBeneš decrees , after theSecond World War , all of the German population was expelled (Flight and expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia during and after World War II ), and the area was re-settled by Czech people, many without roots in this region.From the 1950s, new prefabricated housing estates were built that reached the outer parts of the historical conurbation in the 1960s and 70s. This expansion was necessary because a lot of people had moved in to get jobs in the region's thriving mining and electrical industries. The historical monuments were dilapidated and uncared-for. Before 1989 some parts of the historical centre were intended to be replaced by modern housing. Fortunately the
Velvet Revolution changed the trend of development in the town and brought about a change in attitudes towards the cultural values of the past. The historical heart of Kadaň began to be repaired and after 15 years it has become a pearl of the region. There is now a new site on the bank of the Ohře River being planned and projected-Maxipes Fík Embankment with a lot of attractions both for children and adults. The town has been turning to be a tourist centre of the predominantly industrial region. The only drawback for tourism is the lack of a higher-capacity hotel in the town.Places of interest
* Franciscan Monastery (museum)
* Town Hall Tower
* The Castle
* The Old Square
* Holy Tower
* Barbican
* Lookout Tower on Svatý kopeček (Holy Hill)Galleries
*
* Městská galerie Josefa Lieslera ("pod věží" - "under the tower")
* Městská galerie Karla Havlíčka ("na hradě" - "in the castle")
* Galerie U Netopýra also called Kisza Gallery, is one of the largest private galleries with permanent exhibition in Central Europe
* Galerie U Adama (Jitka Gavendová and František Vlček)
* Galerie Na půdě - "on the attic" (of the Franciscan Monastery)
* pictures and photographies for sale are usually in a lot of local restaurants and boarding housesAnnual events
* Emperor's Day (on last August Sunday, takes place on the square with a lot of attractions)
* Maxipes Fík Birthday
* Kirwitzer Astronomical Day
* Old Czech Carnival
* Franciscan Summer
* Vine Harvest Festival
* "Vysmáté léto" - Summer Rock Fest
* Nativity Play
* Passion of Christ PlayEducation
Kadaň is home to several secondary schools with a long history. The oldest of them is the Gymnasium that was established in 1803 with 99 students and continued under the control of the
Piarists until 1823. The seat of the old Gymnasium was a formerMinorites Monastery (different from the Franciscan Monastery) near the square in a building which is now residence of the Regional Archives. The institute of Gymnasium was then reestablished in 1872 in a new building. The Gymnasium was again closed in 1951 and the new Industrial School moved to the building. It is still there today. A new Gymnasium was established in 1968 and has remained on the same premises since 1978. The Industrial School specialized at first on mining (because of thelignite anduranium mines in the surroundings), however since 1957 it has been specialized on building and finally in 2001 it added Commercial Academy to its educational program so now it is called Industrial Building School and Commercial Academy. The Agriculture School (now "SOŠS a SOU Amos") was established in 1862 as so-called "Ackerbauschule". In front of the building there are valuable statues of Albrecht Daniel Thaer andJustus von Liebig (restored in 2003). The teaching in all the schools was in German language until 1945. There are 4 Elementary Schools in Kadaň and a school for handicapped children.Personalities
History
*
Peter Georg Niger (Schwartz) (1434 - 1481 or 1484) - theologian
*Jan Hasištejnský z Lobkovic (1450 - 1517) - traveller, politician and writer
* Petr Štěrba ze Štěrbic (1517/18-1591) - scriber and translator
* Jan Sandel - translator from German (Hájek 's Chronicle of Bohemia, 1543)
* Wenceslas (Václav) Pantaleon Kirwitzer (1588 - 1626Macau ) - astronomer
*Wilhelm Nigrinus (Schwartz) (1588 - 1638) (),ethnologist
*Theodor Cardinal Innitzer (1875 - 1955) -archbishop of Vienna
*Edward Goll (1884 - 1949Mont Albert ,Melbourne ,Australia ), pianist and music teacher
*Hans Zeisel (1905 - 1992Chicago ), sociologist and economist
*Petr Klíma (1964 born to Kadaň parents inChomutov hospital), ice hockey player,Stanley Cup winner (1990,Edmonton Oilers )Art
* Karel Havlíček (1907 - 1988)
*Josef Liesler (1912 Vidolice u Kadaně - August 6, 2005 Prague)
* Josef Kokeš (1906 - 1967)
* Rudolf Koblic (1933 - 2003)
* Herbert Kisza (*1943)
* Vojtěch Kraus
* František Vlček (*1947)
* Jitka Gavendová (*1946)
* Jitka Křivancová
* Pavel Wolf
* Dalibor Vajnar
* Kryštof Kisza
* Margo Paran (*1946) - anIsrael artist and poet born in KadaňTheatre
*
Josef Dvořák
* Kladivadlo
* NavenekLiterature
*
Václav Řezáč
*Rudolf Čechura Churches
There are churches and chapels of four Christian denominations:
Roman Catholic Church ,Czechoslovak Hussite Church ,Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren andOrthodox Church . Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross is situated in the square.Parks and urban vegetation
wrote in his novel "Vlčí kůže" about Svatá hora that it was a place for romantic walks of young couples. The park the area around was also referred to as "Sommerfrische Kaaden" - Kadaň summer resort. It was, however, not cared for in the times of World War II and Communists after 1948 left the park to be completely devastated and overgrown. However the socialist planners projected the new residential areas with a lot of greenery inside. A new large park came to existence on the other side of the town on the left bank of Bystřice stream - now "Rooseveltovy sady".
Interesting facts
* A Swiss-French writer
Benjamin Constant set a part of his famous novelAdolphe (1816) in Kadaň, referring to it as "Caden, petite ville de la Bohême". [http://www.badosa.com/bin/obra.pl?id=n081-06]
* Václav Vanya from KadaňŠvejk Restaurant "U Věžičky" won the nationalPilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition 2008. [ [http://www.homebrewing.cz/clanek/3431/Nejlepsim-vycepnim-v-Ceske-republice-je-Vaclav-Vanya-z-kadanskeho-Svejk-restaurantu-U-vezicky.htm] Cs icon]Environs and tips to visit
* Castle
* Úhošť hill
*Klášterec nad Ohří
*Krásný Dvůr
* ZOOparkChomutov
*Nechranice reservoir
* Egerberk Castle
* Šumburk Castle
* Hauenštejn Castle / Horní Hrad
*Karlovy Vary - 44kmTwin towns
*)
*)External links
* [http://www.mesto-kadan.cz/ Municipal website]
* [http://www.muzeumkadan.cz/ Municipal Museum]
* [http://www.gymnazium-kadan.cz/ Gymnasium]
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