Hradec Kralove - East Bohemia - others

The first record referring to the settlement of Hradec Králové dates from as early as 1086, while the town of Hradec Králové was first mentioned in a letter by King Přemysl Otakar II of Bohemia dated 1225. In the 14th century, Hradec was one of the most important towns in the Kingdom of Bohemia, one of the reasons for its prominence being the status of a royal dowry town, which was granted to it in 1306. It was also at that time that the Church of the Holy Ghost, a Gothic three-nave structure made of bricks, was built. In the 16th century, the town underwent reconstruction in the Renaissance style and acquired a new dominant feature, the White Tower from the years 1574-1580. Its bell, called Augustin, is the second largest bell to be found in Bohemia. The 17th and the 18th centuries added monumental Baroque buildings (the Jesuit Church of the Assumption and the adjacent Jesuit College) to the town, markedly changing its inner appearance as well as its silhouettes. Between 1765 and 1789, on the orders of Emperor Josef II, Hradec Králové was rebuilt as a fortress, which - in view of its monumental character - transformed not only the appearance of the town itself, but also the surrounding area. In spite of the fact that the fortress was a masterpiece of technology, its millitary value was minimal. At the end of the 19th century, after the fortress was abolished, a competition for a regulatory town plan (the first to be implemented) was announced. A condition was set that all achievements of modern architecture should be applied in the construction of new quarters of the town. Further up-dated plans were the basis for the reconstruction of Hradec Králové.

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