Znojmo (Czech pronunciation:[ˈznoimo]; German: Znaim) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian Region. The historic centre of Znojmo is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation.
Administrative parts
The villages of Derflice, Kasárna, Konice, Mramotice, Načeratice, Oblekovice, Popice and Přímětice are administrative parts of Znojmo.[2]
Etymology
The origin of the town's name is uncertain. According to the most likely theories, it was derived either from the Old Czech words znoj (i.e. 'heat') and znojný ('exposed to heat'), or from the personal name Znojem or Znojim.[3]
Geography
Znojmo is located about 54 km (34 mi) southwest of Brno, near the border with Austria. It lies mostly in the Jevišovice Uplands, with only a small part of the municipal territory in the south extending into the Dyje–Svratka Valley. The highest point is at 397 m (1,302 ft) above sea level. The town is situated mainly on a rock outcropping on the steep left bank of the Thaya River. The western part of the municipal territory lies within the Podyjí National Park.
A settlement at the site possibly already existed during the time of the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century, however, the main Great Moravian gord was situated on the hill across the Gránický brook. From about 1055, Znojmo Castle served as the residence of a Přemyslid principality within the Bohemian March of Moravia and a strategically important outpost near the border with the Bavarian March of Austria in the south. In 1101, Luitpold of Znojmo, Duke of Moravia, built the Rotunda of Saint Catherine in the castle.[4]
The first written mention of Znojmo is from 1226. The royal town of Znojmo was founded shortly before 1226 by King Ottokar I of Bohemia on the plains in front of the rebuilt castle and was fortified. It was one of the first royal towns in Moravia.[6] At that time, the burghers were mainly German speaking, while the surrounding villages were Czech speaking.
The town survived the Hussite Wars unscathed, when the Hussites failed to capture the town, and prospered. In the 15th and 16th centuries, networks of burgher houses with a system of underground passages were built as a part of fortifications. The Renaissance and late Gothic houses are preserved to this day. The development ended with the Thirty Years' War. Znojmo was conquered and ransacked repeatedly. It took over a hundred years for the town to recover.[4]
From the 19th century, Znojmo is best known as the site for the Armistice of Znaim concluded there on 12 July 1809 after the Battle of Znaim, following the decisive Battle of Wagram, between Emperor Napoleon and the archduke Charles, which had taken place seven days earlier.
Since the end of World War I, Znojmo was within the newly established state of Czechoslovakia, except for 1938–1945 during the Nazi German occupation when it was administered as part of the Reichsgau Niederdonau. The German population of the town was expelled after World War II according to the Beneš decrees.
Znojmo is famous for local production of cucumbers, pickled in the original sweet-sour and spicy pickle, whose cultivation in the Znojmo region was introduced in 1571 by the abbot of the Louka Monastery, George II.[9] The special taste is also the result of local type of cucumbers, cultivation method, soil, climatic conditions, processing and also the packaging in which they are kept.
Thanks to the favorable climatic conditions, the town is also successful in winery and fruit growing. It is the centre of viticulture of the Znojemská wine sub-region.[6][9]
Transport
The I/38 (part of the European route E59) from Jihlava to the Czech-Austrian border passes through Znojmo. It forks in the centre of Znojmo and connects the town with Brno as the I/53 road.
There is a railway station with railway lines leading in three directions: to Vienna in Austria, to Břeclav and to Okříšky.[10]
Culture
Louka Monastery
Znojmo is known for its Znojmo Vintage Festival which takes place every September. The main attraction of the festival is the historical parade commemorating the visit of King John of Bohemia to Znojmo in 1327.[11]
The annual Gherkin Feast is dedicated to tradition of growing gherkins in the region.[6][12]
The Gothic Church of St. Nicholas and the late Gothic Town Hall tower are the most recognizable landmarks. The original church was founded in around 1100, and replaced by a new church gradually built from 1338 until the late 15th century.[13] The town hall with its 80 m (260 ft) high tower was built in 1445–1448.[14]
Beneath the grounds of the old town, there is a vast labyrinth of connected passageways and cellars called the Znojmo Catacombs. This system was developed in the 14th and 15th centuries for defence purposes, and it contains wells, drainage, fireplaces, trap doors and escapeways that lead beyond the fortifications of the town.[17][18] The catacombs are the largest system of underground corridors and cellars in the Czech Republic – they are almost 27 km (17 mi) long and up to 4 levels deep.[19]
The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was probably built in the 12th century. It is the second most significant church in the town, after Church of Saint Nicholas.[20] The church was first mentioned in 1226 and completely rebuilt in the late Gothic style in 1508. It is considered a monument of national importance.[21]
The Premonstratensian Louka Monastery is among the most valuable buildings in Znojmo. The monastery was founded in 1190, but the current monastery building was built in two phases in the years 1748–1756 and 1761–1778. Architecturally, it is a monument of transnational importance, protected as a national cultural monument.[5] The monastery complex includes the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Wenceslaus. It is originally a Romanesque basilica with a Gothic presbytery, which was rebuilt in the Baroque style at the end of the 17th century.[22]
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