Javorník (Jeseník District)
Encyclopedia
Javorník (ˈjavorɲiːk) or Javorník u Jeseníku or Javorník ve Slezsku, , is a town in the Jeseník District
Jeseník District
Jeseník District is a district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. Its seat is the town Jeseník.The area called Jeseníky region is in the most northern bulge of Silesia and Moravia. It is closed by frontier with Poland that passes westward through Rychleby Hills and crosses the Nysa...

 of the Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia and in a small part of the historical region of Silesia . It is named for its capital Olomouc.-External links:* *...

, Javorník Hook, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. It has about 2,900 inhabitants.

Early history

The town, which lies in the foothills of Rychlebské Hory , was established under a medieval fortress, what would later become castle Johannesberg
Jánský vrch
Jánský vrch is a castle located in the Jeseník District, which lies in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. The castle Jánský Vrch stands on a hill above the town of Javorník in the north-western edge of Czech Silesia, a territory historically known as Sudetenland.-History:The castle is...

, at the beginning of the 14. century. It belonged to the principality of Neisse-Grottkau, which was under the rule of the prince-bishops
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...

 of Breslau.

From 1428 until 1432, during the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...

, Javorník and its fort were under siege by the Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...

s. They left the village and the fortress in ruins, and it was not until the early 16th century when Jan Thurzo
Jan Thurzo
Jan Thurzo was a Hungarian entrepreneur and mining engineer. Between 1477 until his death in 1508 he was a rajca of Kraków and for a period of time, it's burmistrz ....

, Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...

 of Breslau, built the castle Johannesberg
Jánský vrch
Jánský vrch is a castle located in the Jeseník District, which lies in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. The castle Jánský Vrch stands on a hill above the town of Javorník in the north-western edge of Czech Silesia, a territory historically known as Sudetenland.-History:The castle is...

 on the remains of the old stronghold of Jauernig. During his reign Javorník gained importance as a mining settlement as several silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

 and iron ore mines were established in the area. In 1549 the village finally became a town and a first school was also established. Unfortunately, in 1576 the town’s growth was hampered as it was ravaged by a fire. The devastation was minor however, compare to the destruction Javorník experienced during the Thirty Years War, especially then in 1646. The settlement was nearly completely destroyed and it was not until eight years later that Javorník became once again a prosperous town, now with a church, school, town hall and a brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

.

Golden Age

After the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

n victory in the First Silesian War
Silesian Wars
The Silesian Wars were a series of wars between Prussia and Austria for control of Silesia. They formed parts of the larger War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. They eventually ended with Silesia being incorporated into Prussia, and Austrian recognition of this...

 in 1742, Austria
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

 lost nearly all of its Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

n possessions. However, Javorník together with the so-called Bohemian Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

 remained under Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...

 control. This was a prosperous period for the town. In 1748, Javorník became the seat of the Breslau diocese responsible for the administration of all its properties in the Freiwaldau
Jeseník
Jeseník , Frývaldov until 1948 is a city and a district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic.- Districts :* Bukovice * Dětřichov * Jeseník * Lázně Jeseník - History :...

 region and since 1767 also the center of Habsburg
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

 government for the principality of Neisse-Grottkau. At the same time, Philipp Gotthard, Graf von Schaffgotsch, the prince-bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...

 of Breslau moved his court on the Johannesberg castle
Jánský vrch
Jánský vrch is a castle located in the Jeseník District, which lies in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. The castle Jánský Vrch stands on a hill above the town of Javorník in the north-western edge of Czech Silesia, a territory historically known as Sudetenland.-History:The castle is...

 and with him Javorník became also the cultural center of Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...

. Among the most famous personalities living there was August Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf
----August Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf was an Austrian composer, violinist and silvologist.-1739-1764:...

, renowned Viennese
Wien
Wien is the German language name for Vienna, the city and federal state in Austria.* Wien , in Vienna, Austria* Theater an der Wien, a theater in Vienna located at the former river WienWien may also refer to:...

 composer and violinist. By 1804, Javorník had 419 homes and over 3100 citizens, more than any other urban area in the region.

19th and early 20th century

In 1825 a devastating fire once again ravaged the town, destroying 104 of its structures including the town hall, church and most of its industry. Although Javorník was rebuilt, it never regained the same importance in the region as it had during the golden age in the second half of the 18. century. Most of the textile
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....

, brewing and manufacturing industries never fully recovered and the city became once again dependent on forestry and mining, chiefly of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

, arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...

 and iron. In 1897, Javorník was linked with the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

 by a local railway, but even that did not revitalize the town’s industries or its overall growth. In 1880 Javorník had the population of 3,362 citizens, all were German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

-speaking. This number continued to decline throughout the first quarter of the 20th century. During WWII, approximately 30 French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

 and Soviet POWs were interned at the old town prison in Javorník. Other and larger POW Camps
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...

 were located in Zálesí
Zálesí (Javorník)
Zálesí or Valdek is a small village located in Rychlebské Hory in the Olomouc Region in northeastern part of the Czech Republic. In the past, the village administered the no-longer existing settlement Waldoro and today is a part of the town of Javorník...

, Travná
Travná (Javorník)
Travná or Krutvald is a small village located in Rychlebské Hory in the Olomouc Regionin northeastern part of the Czech Republic...

, Račí Údolí and the nearby Bernartice
Bernartice (Jeseník District)
Bernartice or Bernartice u Javorníku is a village in the Jeseník District of the Olomouc Region in the Czech Republic. As of 2005 the settlement had 925 inhabitants.-Administrative parts of Bernartice:...

. Also located in Javorník was Reichsarbeitsdienst
Reichsarbeitsdienst
The Reichsarbeitsdienst was an institution established by Nazi Germany as an agency to reduce unemployment, similar to the relief programs in other countries. During the Second World War it was an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht.The RAD was formed during July 1934 as...

 (RAD) work camp K6/380 (in German RAD-Abt. K6/380 Jauernig).

According to the Austrian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

 census of 1910 the town had 2,052 inhabitants, 1,956 of whom had permanent residence there. Census asked people for their native language, 1,956 (100%) were German-speaking. Most populous religious group were Roman Catholics with 2,019 (98.4%).

Post-WWII years

After 1945, under the Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...

 most Sudeten Germans
Sudeten Germans
- Importance of Sudeten Germans :Czechoslovakia was inhabited by over 3 million ethnic Germans, comprising about 23 percent of the population of the republic and about 29.5% of Bohemia and Moravia....

 were forced to leave Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

. Most citizens of Javorník were evicted from their homes
Expulsion of Germans after World War II
The later stages of World War II, and the period after the end of that war, saw the forced migration of millions of German nationals and ethnic Germans from various European states and territories, mostly into the areas which would become post-war Germany and post-war Austria...

 and held at several interment camps in the Freiwaldau district. Many of them were also beaten and killed by numerous militias and paramilitary groups with strong ties to the Communist Party
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....

 and the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...

. However, scores of families from Javorník were able to leave with the assistance of Cardinal Adolf Bertram and the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...

s, a noble German family that owned several properties in the area. They worked tirelessly to save many ethnic German families
Sudeten Germans
- Importance of Sudeten Germans :Czechoslovakia was inhabited by over 3 million ethnic Germans, comprising about 23 percent of the population of the republic and about 29.5% of Bohemia and Moravia....

; helping them to flee Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 to the British and US Zones
Bizone
The Bizone, or Bizonia was the combination of the American and the British occupation zones in 1947 during the occupation of Germany after World War II. With the addition of the French occupation zone in March 1948, the entity became the Trizone...

 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. The majority of the German population
Sudeten Germans
- Importance of Sudeten Germans :Czechoslovakia was inhabited by over 3 million ethnic Germans, comprising about 23 percent of the population of the republic and about 29.5% of Bohemia and Moravia....

 was expelled from Javorník by 1947. Their property was given or sold to the Czech and Slovak citizens under the repopulation programs of the Czechoslovak
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 government.

Following the Communist coup d'état of 1948
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...

, Czechoslovakian government confiscated most of the property which belonged to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 and the prince-bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...

s of Breslau, including their farmland and forest holdings. Most of the businesses closed and were moved to larger cities in the region. By the mid 1960s, the only major employers in Javorník were the JZD - agricultural cooperative), small manufacturer of metal furniture and a company producing stuffed toys. As the social conditions in the town continued to deteriorate, in the mid 1980s the Communist government
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....

 decided to build a subsidiary of MEZ Postrelmov, one of the oldest companies in Northern Moravia, in Javornik. Unfortunately after the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...

 in 1989, the company found it hard to compete in the new economic environment and closed down in early 1990s.

As of 2008, the town Javorník had one primary school and two kindergartens, health centre (with two general physicians) and several leisure facilities, including a movie theatre, library and a swimming pool. Today after years of neglect, the picturesque town of Javornik is once again thriving and is slowly becoming a regional center of business and tourism.

Administrative parts of Javorník

The following settlements and villages are administrative parts of Javorník:
  • Bílý Potok
    Bílý Potok (Javorník)
    Bílý Potok is a small village located in the foothills of Rychlebské Hory in the Olomouc Region, Czech Republic...

  • Horní Hoštice
    Horní Hoštice (Javorník)
    Horní Hoštice is a small village located in the foothills of Rychlebské Hory in the Olomouc Region in Czech Republic...

  • Javorník
    Javorník
    Javorník is the name of several locations in the Czech Republic:* Javorník, a town in the Olomouc Region * Javorník, a village in the Pardubice Region...

  • Travná
    Travná (Javorník)
    Travná or Krutvald is a small village located in Rychlebské Hory in the Olomouc Regionin northeastern part of the Czech Republic...

  • Zálesí
    Zálesí (Javorník)
    Zálesí or Valdek is a small village located in Rychlebské Hory in the Olomouc Region in northeastern part of the Czech Republic. In the past, the village administered the no-longer existing settlement Waldoro and today is a part of the town of Javorník...


Famous personalities born or living in Javorník

  • Count Philipp Gotthard of Schaffgotsch (1716–1795), Prince-Bishop of Breslau
  • Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf
    Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf
    ----August Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf was an Austrian composer, violinist and silvologist.-1739-1764:...

     (1739–1799), composer, Kapellmeister at Schloss Johannesberg from 1770 until 1794
  • Johann Nepomuk Rust
    Johann Nepomuk Rust
    Johann Nepomuk Rust was a surgeon and military physician born at Jánský Vrh, Javorník, Austrian Silesia ....

     (1775–1840), surgeon, born at Schloss Johannesberg
  • Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
    Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
    Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet and novelist of the later German romantic school.Eichendorff is regarded as one of the most important German Romantics and his works have sustained high popularity in Germany from production to the present day.-Life:Eichendorff was born at Schloß...

     (1788–1857), poet, stayed at Schloss Johannesberg 1856/57
  • Joseph Christian Freiherr von Zedlitz
    Joseph Christian Freiherr von Zedlitz
    ----Joseph Christian Freiherr von Zedlitz was an Austrian dramatist and epic poet....

     (1790–1862), author, born at Schloss Johannesberg
  • Cardinal Melchior Freiherr von Diepenbrock (1798–1853), Prince-Bishop of Breslau
  • Emil Sax
    Emil Sax
    Emil Sax was an Austrian economist from Javorník, Austrian Silesia.He taught at the Charles University and died in Volosko, Kingdom of Yugoslavia.- Literary works :...

     (1845–1927), economist, born in Jauernig
  • Cardinal Adolf Bertram (1859–1945), Archbishop of Breslau, died in Schloss Johannesberg and was buried at the Javorník cemetery, mortal remains transferred to Wrocław Cathedral in 1991.
  • Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern (1919–1999), a son of Prince Georg of Bavaria
    Prince Georg of Bavaria
    Prince Georg of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a Catholic priest.- Birth and family :...

    , stayed in Schloss Johannesberg 1944/45, lived in Javornik from 1944–1999 and is buried at the local cemetery.

External links


Further reading

  • Gernot, Ludwig und Wolf, Kurt – Jauernig und das Jauerniger Ländchen. Das 2. Heimatbuch des ehemaligen Gerichtsbezirkes Jauernig – 1995.
  • Hosák, Ladislav – Historický místopis Moravy a Slezska v letech 1848–1960 – 1967, Profil Ostrava.
  • Kuča, Karel – Města a městečka v Čechách, na Moravě a ve Slezsku II. díl – 1997, Libri Praha.
  • Pachl, Hans – Jauernig und das Jauerniger Ländchen. Ein Heimatbuch des ehemaligen Gerichtsbezirks Jauernig – 1983.
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