České Budějovice is a statutory city in South Bohemia and the seat of the South Bohemian Region.[1][3] The city lies in the České Budějovice Basin at the confluence of the Vltava and the Malše.[1] According to the Czech Statistical Office, České Budějovice had 97,128 inhabitants on 1 January 2026.[2]*
Foundation
The oldest finds from the city area are flint tools from the Old and Middle Stone Age. In the Early Bronze Age the České Budějovice Basin was systematically settled.[1] King Přemysl Otakar II sought to strengthen royal power in southern Bohemia and to curb the influence of the Vítkovci family. In 1261 he decided to found a large royal town there and chose a site at the confluence of the Malše and the Vltava near the settlement of Budivojovice, from which the town took its name.[1] The town site was laid out on the king's orders by Hirzo, burgrave of Zvíkov, who according to a charter of 10 March 1265 handed over a plot to the Dominicans for their friary. That year is regarded as the beginning of the town.[1] In the second half of the 13th century construction began on fortifications consisting of a high inner wall and a lower outer wall.[1]
History
In 1279 the town was captured and plundered by Záviš of Falkenstein. The first documented reeve, the king's representative in the town, was Klaric in 1296.[1] Between 1417 and 1433 the town hall moved to today's Přemysl Otakar II Square. From the mid-14th century the town council met there, and the town seals and privileges were kept there.[1] In 1751 the town became the seat of the Budějovice Region. Between 1825 and 1832 a horse-drawn railway to Linz was built, and in 1848 a pencil and stoneware factory, later Koh-i-noor Hardtmuth, began production.[1] After the diocese was established in 1785, St Nicholas' Church became the episcopal cathedral.[1] In 1949 the České Budějovice Region was created and in 1960 the South Bohemian Region, both with their seat in České Budějovice. In 2000 the city became the seat of the Budějovice Region, soon renamed the South Bohemian Region.[1] Since 1990 the city has been headed by a mayor (primátor). The first, Jaromír Talíř, was elected on 6 December 1990.[1]
Landmarks
The historic core was declared an urban heritage reserve in 1980.[1] Construction of the Dominican friary began together with the founding of the town, and the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary on Piaristické náměstí was consecrated in 1274. St Nicholas' Church north-east of the square was founded around 1265 under royal patronage.[1] In front of its west façade stands the Black Tower, built between 1549 and 1577. Because of unfavourable ground conditions, oak piles were driven into the subsoil before the foundations were laid.[4] The tower has a square plan with sides of 11.6 m, a height of 71.9 m and nine storeys. The largest of its five bells is Bumerin of 1723; a clock was first installed in 1606.[4]
Institutions and economy
The city is home to the University of South Bohemia and the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice.[1] Major companies include the Budějovický Budvar and Samson breweries, the paper company Mondi Bupak, Koh-i-noor Hardtmuth, the Madeta dairy and the engineering firms Motor Jikov and Robert Bosch.[1] Brewing has been linked with the city since its foundation in the 13th century.[1]
Pages linking here
Sources
- Statutární město České Budějovice (Web Archive) — 7 June 2024
- Český statistický úřad — 18 May 2026
- Hlídač státu
- Encyklopedie Českých Budějovic (Web Archive) — 9 June 2026