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Liberec (pronounced Settled by German and Flemish migrants since the 14th century, Liberec was once home to a thriving textile industry and hence nicknamed the "Manchester of Bohemia". For many Czechs, Liberec is mostly associated with the city dominant Ještěd Tower.
[edit] HistoryLiberec was first mentioned in a document from 1348, and from 1622 to 1634 was among the possessions of Albrecht von Wallenstein. After his death it belonged to the Gallas and Clam Gallas families. The cloth-making industry was introduced in 1579. The prosperous local industry was interrupted by the Thirty Years' War and a great plague in the 1680s. The Battle of Reichenberg between Austria and Prussia occurred nearby in 1757 during the Seven Years' War. At one time the second city of Bohemia,[1] the city developed rapidly at the end of the 19th century and as a result has a spectacular collection of late 19th century buildings; the town hall, the opera house, and the Severočeské Muzeum (North Bohemian Museum) are of significant note. The Opera House has a spectacular main curtain that was designed by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. The neighborhoods on the hills above the town center display beautiful homes and streets, laid out in a picturesque Romantic style similar to some central European thermal spas. After World War I, the ethnic German majority in the Sudetenland refused to be incorporated into Czechoslovakia, citing Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and the doctrine of Self Determination. An independent Sudeten German state was briefly formed with Reichenberg as the Capital. However, the Czechoslovak Army invaded the area and it was after all integrated into Czechoslovakia. During the 1930s, the city became the centre of Pan-German movements and later the Nazis. After the Munich Agreement of 1938, it became the capital of the Sudetengau within Nazi Germany. The city's German population was forcibly expelled following World War II through the Beneš decrees. The region was then resettled by the Czechs. [edit] Historical names
All forms of its names are derived from the medieval German word meaning "(the village on the) rich/resourceful mountain" (reicher Berg in modern German). The name was sometimes shortened to Richberk and Riberk, which gave rise to the Czech name Liberk. In Czech, words starting with "R" were often dissimilated into "L".[2] [edit] Science and technology
[edit] Zoo and botanical garden
[edit] Events
[edit] ArchitectureLiberec's prominent buildings are the town hall (1893), the castle of Count Clam Gallas, built in the 17th century, and the Ještěd Tower (1968) upon the Ještěd Mountain, which became a symbol of the city. Václav Havel held a broadcast from the site of the tower in 1968; a plaque beside the tower marks this event. Contemporary buildings of note are also to be found, primarily the work of the firm SIAL, and include the new Regional Research Library (2000) and the Česká Pojištovna office building (1997). [edit] Liberec Tram System Liberec shares the tramway line which connects it to its neighboring city, Jablonec nad Nisou which is 12 km away. There is also a city line which connects Horní Hanychov and Lidové Sady via Fügnerova. [edit] SportFC Slovan Liberec a football club founded in Liberec and currently playing the highest division (Gambrinus liga). FC Slovan Liberec is one of the most successful clubs in the Czech Republic (2 league titles). HC Bílí Tygři Liberec finished top of the Extraliga (the highest national ice hockey league) in 2007-8. Liberec has hosted two European Luge Championships, having done so in 1914 and 1939 when the city was then known as Reichenberg. In 2009, it is hosting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. The Ski Jumping World Cup always comes to Liberec in January. [edit] Notable people
[edit] International relations[edit] Twin towns — Sister citiesLiberec is twinned with:
[edit] Closest cities, towns and villages
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