České Budějovice | |||
Budweis | |||
City | |||
Old town in mid-October 2008
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Country | Czech Republic | ||
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Region | South Bohemian | ||
District | České Budějovice | ||
Rivers | Vltava, Malše | ||
Center | Přemysl Otakar II Square | ||
- elevation | 381 m (1,250 ft) | ||
- coordinates | 48°58′29″N 14°28′29″E / 48.97472°N 14.47472°ECoordinates: 48°58′29″N 14°28′29″E / 48.97472°N 14.47472°E | ||
Area | 55.56 km2 (21 sq mi) | ||
Population | 93,285 (As of 2015[update]) | ||
Density | 1,679/km2 (4,349/sq mi) | ||
Founded | 1265 | ||
Mayor | Jiří Svoboda | ||
Timezone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
- summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 370 01 | ||
Website: www.c-budejovice.cz | |||
České Budějovice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈt͡ʃɛskɛː ˈbuɟɛjovɪt͡sɛ]; German: Budweis or Böhmisch Budweis) is a statutory city in the Czech Republic. It is the largest city in the South Bohemian Region as well as its political and commercial capital, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice, the University of South Bohemia, and the Academy of Sciences. It is located in the center of a valley of the Vltava River, at the confluence with the Malše.
České Budějovice, which is located in the historical province of Bohemia, is not to be confused with Moravské Budějovice in Moravia.
The city was founded in 1256 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia, who granted its municipal charter in 1265. The siting and planning of the city was carried out by the king's knight Hirzo. The settlers were coming from the Bohemian Forest and Upper Austria. The royal city was created as a platform of the king's power in South Bohemia and to counterbalance the powerful noble House of Rosenberg, which became extinct in 1611. In 1256 the Svitavy brewery was founded there (closed in 2002), beginning a long-lasting tradition of fine beer brewing, culminating in the famous Budweiser Budvar Brewery, founded in 1785.