Žirovnice

Žirovnice ( German Serownitz, also Serowitz ) is a city with slightly more than three thousand inhabitants in the Czech Republic. It is situated on 567 m asl 18 km northeast of Hradec Jindřichův and 38 km south-west of Jihlava river on Žirovnice and belongs to Okres Pelhřimov.

History

Žirovnice 1345 was first mentioned as a castle in the possession of Ulrich III. Neuhaus, whose family this well was also built. The resulting settlement around the castle was first mentioned in 1385. 1485 acquired Václav Vencelík ( Wentzelickh ) Freiherr von Vrchoviště from Kutná Hora the rule and left little later to rebuild and expand the castle. From this time the still partially preserved and unique in its kind frescoes with which he had to embellish the property originate. The current coat of arms (silver unicorn on a blue background ) based on the family crest Vencelíks. In the following centuries had the Lords of Gutštejn, again the Lords of Hradec and the family Slavata Žirovnice, but little change in the needle seat.

The inhabitants of the settlement initially lived mainly from agriculture. Later, a pottery factory, a brewery, and the manufacture of bricks and textile production were added. In the Thirty Years' War Žirovnice and the whole region was ravaged by both imperial as well as by Swedish troops, where the castle was also affected. At the end of the 17th century, the domination came to the family Šternberk that could repair the castle and a number of village churches and chapels.

1854 Žirovnice received city rights. 1864 founded Josef Žampach with its mother of pearl button factory existing until today the main source of income of the city, where an exhibition dedicated at the Castle Museum.

1910 acquired the citizenship castle and lordship of the Šternberks. After a devastating fire in 1964, the renovation of the castle was not completed until 1992.

Local structure

The city Žirovnice consists of the districts Cholunná, Štítné, Stranná, Litkovice, Vlcetín and Žirovnice.

Culture

• Sports: Žirovnice will be held in every July, the " mother- Cup " which is the oldest football tournament in the Czech Republic applies. As a further sporting event, an annual show jumping takes place.
• Music: Every year several music festivals are held, which are mainly devoted to the brass band.

Attractions

• Castle
• Thomas von Štítné Memorial ( in the district Štítné )

Twinning

• Grosshöchstetten, Switzerland
• Trstená, Slovakia

Personalities

• Tomáš Štítný ze Štítného (c. 1331; † around 1401 ), philosopher and writer
• Iva Janžurová ( b. 1941 ), actress