Slavkov u Brna

Slavkov ( German: Austerlitz ) is a small town 20 km east of Brno in the Czech Republic. She became famous at the battle of Austerlitz, which was held at the southwest Pratzeberg at Újezd ​​u Brna.

History

The area around Austerlitz belonged to the Moravian- Slovak realm of Lucka. It was originally called Neusedlitz ( Novosedlice ), which was already mentioned by the chronicler Cosmas of Prague and the beginning of the 13th century belonged to the Teutonic Knights. This established there a Coming, a stronghold whose remains are still visible in the basement of the castle. 1223 St. Mary's Church and the St. Jacobi Church were mentioned. 1237 confirmed King Wenceslas I. the Teutonic Knights possession; presumably he commissioned the Order simultaneously with the founding of a city. King Wenceslas IV gave the town in 1416 a coat of arms and the seal right. Since Austerlitz in the Hussite wars supported the Catholic side, it came after a pledge to various noblemen, among whom were Messrs. von Sternberg. In 1509, took over for more than four centuries the noble family of Kaunitz the rule Austerlitz.

Their religious tolerance in the 16th century contributed significantly to the economic and cultural development of the city. Since 1528 Baptist settled, who had been expelled from Tyrol. 1535 found about 80 Baptist from Cesky Krumlov in Austerlitz refuge. From time to time passed with the Marpeck circle belonging Austerlitz brothers and the Hutterites belonging municipality two Anabaptist communities at the site. The members of their community acquired extensive Grundbesitzungen and operated mainly in pottery and weaving. The Baptist community was, until their expulsion in 1622, one of the largest in Bohemia. The Brethren were able to develop in Austerlitz. They owned since 1510 and held a private prayer house from 1572 and 1584 synods. The parish of Austerlitz was Lutheran since 1575.

After the end of the Thirty Years' War were 348 houses in the city, only 128 are inhabited. After the founding of a textile manufactory Graf Dominik Andreas I von Kaunitz was an economic upturn. 1850 Austerlitz seat of the District Court. As of 1945, the German-speaking inhabitants were expropriated and distributed on the basis of the Beneš decrees. From 1949-1960 the town was the seat of the district of the same name.

Attractions

• The Austerlitz castle built on the site of a fort. It was first in the Renaissance style and then rebuilt in the Baroque style. In the Historical Room of the armistice between France and Austria was after the Battle of Austerlitz on December 6, 1805 signed.
• The town hall was built in 1592 in Renaissance style.
• The St. John the Baptist Church at the cemetery houses the tomb of the family of Kaunitz, Wenzel Anton Kaunitz in even buried.
• The St. Urbanus Chapel of 1712 on the homonymous hill was damaged during the Battle of Austerlitz and rebuilt 1858-1861.
• From the Jewish Quarter existing since 1343 only the synagogue, built in 1858 and the Jewish school are preserved. Just outside is the Jewish cemetery.

Others

Inter alia, the warship Austerlitz the French Navy, the Quai d' Austerlitz in Paris and the Paris train station Gare d' Austerlitz named - After the German name of the city were - because of the victory of Napoleon's troops.

Personalities

• Wenzel Anton Kaunitz (1711-1794), landowner and politician, buried in the town cemetery.
• Peregrin Obdržálek (1825-1891), Catholic priest and writer of religious literature