Liberec
Encyclopedia
Liberec (ˈlɪbɛrɛts; ) is a city in the Czech Republic
. Located on the Lusatian Neisse
and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains
and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge
, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic.
Settled by German
and Flemish
migrants since the 14th century until their expulsion
after World War II
, 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
. Since the end of 19th century the city poses a conurbation
with the towns Vratislavice
which is its suburb and neighboring Jablonec nad Nisou
. Therefore the total area with suburbs covers 150,000 inhabitants. This makes Liberec the third largest city (with suburbs) in Bohemia after Prague and Pilsen.
. 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, 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 the end of World War I Austria-Hungary
fell apart. The Czechs of Bohemia joined newly established Czechoslovakia
on 29.10.1918, while the Germans joined German Austria
on 12.11.1918, both citing Woodrow Wilson
's Fourteen Points
and the doctrine of Self Determination. Reichenberg became the capital of the Sudeten German province of German-Austria. On 16.12.1918 the Czechoslovak Army occupied Reichenberg and the Sudeten German province and both became part of Czechoslovakia.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Liberec became unofficial capital of Germans in Czechoslovakia. This position was underlined by foundations of important institution, like Buecherei der Deutschen, a central German library in Czechoslovakia, and by failed effort to relocate German (Charles) University from Prague
to Liberec.
The World Crisis devastated the economy of the area with its textile, carpet, glass and other light industry. High number of unemployed people, hunger, fear of future and ignorance of Prague government led to the flash rise of populist SdP Party founded by Konrad Henlein
, born in the suburbs of Liberec. However he declared fidelity to the Republic, he secretly negotiated with Adolf Hitler
. In 1937 he radicalised his views and became voluntarily Hitler's puppet in order to destabilise and occupy the Czechoslovakia, which was an ally of France and was one of the leading weapon producers in Europe.
The city became the centre of Pan-German movements and later the Nazis especially after the 1935 election, despite it had an important democratic mayor Karl Kostka (German Democratic Freedom Party). The final change came in summer 1938, after the radicalisation of the terror of the Sudeten German Party (SdP), whose death threats forced Kostka and his family to flee to Prague.
In September 1938, after two unsuccessful attempts by the SdP to stage a pro-Nazi coup in Czechoslovakia which were suppressed by police and army, finally the Munich Agreement
of 1938 changed the city to the capital of the Sudetengau within Nazi Germany
. Most of the large city's Jewish and Czech population fled to the rests of Czechoslovakia or were expelled. Precious synagogue was burned down.
After the World War II, the liberated town became again a part of Czechoslovakia and nearly all of the city's German population was expelled
following through the Beneš decrees
. The region was then resettled by the Czechs. Until today, the city has an important German minority, consisting of anti-nazi Germans active in struggle against Hitler as well as Germans from Czech-German families and its descendents. Liberec has also a Jewish minority with a newly-build synagogue and Greek
minority of Communist refugees settled here after Greek Civil War
in 1949.
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". The old street name Hablau near city centre is considered to be a trace of old village possibly founded by Havel of Lemberg, husband of Saint Zdislava of Lemberg.
(1968) upon the Ještěd Mountain
, build by architect Karel Hubáček
, 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 Pojišťovna office building (1997).
Liberec shares the narrow gauge tramway line
which connects it to its neighboring city, Jablonec nad Nisou
which is 12 km away. There are also two city lines with standard gauge: The first connects Horní Hanychov (not far to the cable car to Ještěd
) and Lidové Sady via Fügnerova. The second connects Dolní Hanychov and Lidové Sady via Fügnerova (only during workdays). There also four historical trams. In the city centre there are two tracks as a memorial, in the past trams were used also on the central place in front of town hall.
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 hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
. The Ski Jumping World Cup
always comes to Liberec in January. The World Karate Championships takes place in May 2011
, Netherlands Amiens
, France Augsburg
, Germany Nahariya
, Israel St. Gallen
, Switzerland Zittau
, Germany Dunkerque, France Kovrov
, Russia
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....
. Located on the Lusatian Neisse
Lusatian Neisse
The Lusatian Neisse is a long river in Central Europe. The river has its source in the Jizera Mountains near Nová Ves nad Nisou, Czech Republic, reaching the tripoint with Poland and Germany at Zittau after , and later forms the Polish-German border on a length of...
and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains
Jizera Mountains
Jizera Mountains , or Izera Mountains, are part of the Western Sudetes on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. The major part is formed from granite, with some areas formed from basalt. The mountains got their name from the Jizera River, which rises at the southern base of Smrk...
and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge
Ješted-Kozákov Ridge
Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge is part of the Western Sudetes mountain range in the Czech Republic.The ridge is almost 60 km long, the width does not exceed 15 km. In the north-west it starts in a saddle between hills Pískový vrch in the Lusatian Mountains and Ostrý vrch already in the...
, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic.
Settled by German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
migrants since the 14th century until their expulsion
Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia
The expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II was part of a series of evacuations and expulsions of Germans from Central and Eastern Europe during and after World War II....
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Liberec was once home to a thriving textile industry and hence nicknamed the "Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
". For many Czechs, Liberec is mostly associated with the city dominant Ještěd Tower
Ješted Tower
Ještěd Tower is a 94 metre-tall tower used to transmit television signal built on the top of Ještěd mountain near Liberec in the Czech Republic....
. Since the end of 19th century the city poses a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
with the towns Vratislavice
Vratislavice
Vratislavice nad Nisou is a district of the city of Liberec, in the north of the Czech Republic. It has around 6,700 inhabitants and straddles the Nisa river between Liberec and Jablonec, around 3.5 km south-east of Liberec city centre.-History:...
which is its suburb and neighboring Jablonec nad Nisou
Jablonec nad Nisou
Jablonec nad Nisou is a town in northern Bohemia, the second largest town of the Liberec Region. It is known as a mountain resort in the Jizera Mountains, an education centre, and a centre of world-production of glass and jewellery...
. Therefore the total area with suburbs covers 150,000 inhabitants. This makes Liberec the third largest city (with suburbs) in Bohemia after Prague and Pilsen.
History
Liberec was first mentioned in a document from 1348, and from 1622 to 1634 was among the possessions of Albrecht von WallensteinAlbrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
. 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
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and a great plague in the 1680s. The Battle of Reichenberg
Battle of Reichenberg
The Battle of Reichenberg was a battle of the Seven Years' War, fought on April 21, 1757 near the town of Reichenberg in Bohemia....
between Austria
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
occurred nearby in 1757 during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
.
At one time the second city of Bohemia, 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
Liberec Town Hall
Liberec Town Hall is a large building in the town of Liberec in the Czech Republic.Liberec town hall is a Neo-Renaissance building, which was built from 1888 till 1893 by design of the Viennese architect, F. Neumann. The Liberec Town hall has a richly decorated façade and very rare stained glass...
, the opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
, 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
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...
. The neighborhoods on the hills above the town center display beautiful homes and streets, laid out in a picturesque Romantic style
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
similar to some central European thermal spas
Destination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
.
After the end of World War I Austria-Hungary
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...
fell apart. The Czechs of Bohemia joined newly established 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...
on 29.10.1918, while the Germans joined German Austria
German Austria
Republic of German Austria was created following World War I as the initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking population within what had been the Austro-Hungarian Empire, without the Kingdom of Hungary, which in 1918 had become the Hungarian Democratic Republic.German...
on 12.11.1918, both citing Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
's Fourteen Points
Fourteen Points
The Fourteen Points was a speech given by United States President Woodrow Wilson to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918. The address was intended to assure the country that the Great War was being fought for a moral cause and for postwar peace in Europe...
and the doctrine of Self Determination. Reichenberg became the capital of the Sudeten German province of German-Austria. On 16.12.1918 the Czechoslovak Army occupied Reichenberg and the Sudeten German province and both became part of Czechoslovakia.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Liberec became unofficial capital of Germans in Czechoslovakia. This position was underlined by foundations of important institution, like Buecherei der Deutschen, a central German library in Czechoslovakia, and by failed effort to relocate German (Charles) University from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
to Liberec.
The World Crisis devastated the economy of the area with its textile, carpet, glass and other light industry. High number of unemployed people, hunger, fear of future and ignorance of Prague government led to the flash rise of populist SdP Party founded by Konrad Henlein
Konrad Henlein
Konrad Ernst Eduard Henlein was a leading pro-Nazi ethnic German politician in Czechoslovakia and leader of Sudeten German separatists...
, born in the suburbs of Liberec. However he declared fidelity to the Republic, he secretly negotiated with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. In 1937 he radicalised his views and became voluntarily Hitler's puppet in order to destabilise and occupy the Czechoslovakia, which was an ally of France and was one of the leading weapon producers in Europe.
The city became the centre of Pan-German movements and later the Nazis especially after the 1935 election, despite it had an important democratic mayor Karl Kostka (German Democratic Freedom Party). The final change came in summer 1938, after the radicalisation of the terror of the Sudeten German Party (SdP), whose death threats forced Kostka and his family to flee to Prague.
In September 1938, after two unsuccessful attempts by the SdP to stage a pro-Nazi coup in Czechoslovakia which were suppressed by police and army, finally the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
of 1938 changed the city to the capital of the Sudetengau within Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Most of the large city's Jewish and Czech population fled to the rests of Czechoslovakia or were expelled. Precious synagogue was burned down.
After the World War II, the liberated town became again a part of Czechoslovakia and nearly all of the city's German population was expelled
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...
following through 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...
. The region was then resettled by the Czechs. Until today, the city has an important German minority, consisting of anti-nazi Germans active in struggle against Hitler as well as Germans from Czech-German families and its descendents. Liberec has also a Jewish minority with a newly-build synagogue and Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
minority of Communist refugees settled here after Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
in 1949.
Historical names
- 1352 Reychinberch
- 1369 Reychmberg
- 1385–99 Reichenberg
- 1410 Rychmberg
- 1545 Rychberk
- 1592 Lychberk
- 1634 Libercum
- 1790 Reichenberg, Liberk, Habersdorf
- 1834 Reichenberg, Liberk
- 1845 Reichenberg, Liberec
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
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
name Liberk. In Czech, words starting with "R" were often dissimilated
Dissimilation
In phonology, particularly within historical linguistics, dissimilation is a phenomenon whereby similar consonant or vowel sounds in a word become less similar...
into "L". The old street name Hablau near city centre is considered to be a trace of old village possibly founded by Havel of Lemberg, husband of Saint Zdislava of Lemberg.
Science and technology
- Technical University of LiberecTechnical University of LiberecThe Technical University of Liberec is a public university in Liberec, Czech Republic. Its roots lie in the Technical College of Mechanical Engineering, which was founded in 1953. The college was promoted to a university and took its current name in 1995...
(Technická Univerzita v Liberci): Founded in 1953 as a Technical College. In 1995 gained the status of a university. It has about 10,000 students in 6 faculties (Mechanical Engineering, Textile Engineering, Architecture, Mechatronics, Humanities and Nature and Economics). Applied research in mechatronicsMechatronicsMechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, control engineering, and systems design engineering in order to design, and manufacture useful products. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering, that is...
, important school of architecture. - Regional Science Library (Krajská vědecká knihovna): A general public science library, aiming at general education in the region. Originally founded in 1923 as a new umbrella library Buecherei der Deutschen. New building was completed in 2000. It has an exceptional collection of Germano-Slavica and Sudetica (periodicals and books in German language from Bohemia). Its building comprises also a modern synagogue.
- The North Bohemian Museum (Severočeské muzeum): Built in 1873. It ranks among the oldest and most significant museums of nature sciences, arts and crafts in the Czech Republic. There is the sculpture of T.G. Masaryk from 2010 standing in front of the Museum.
Zoo and botanical garden
- The zoo in Liberec was the first to be opened in Czechoslovakia in 1919. The zoo contains a wide variety of fauna (about 143 species on 13 ha), including large mammals like elephants, giraffes, sea lionSea LionSea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s and white tigerWhite tigerThe white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
s, which are a genetic anomaly and hence very rare. It participates in breeding activities of endangered species to help preserving the gene poolGene poolIn population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique alleles in a species or population.- Description :A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection...
.
- The Botanical Garden in Liberec (completely rebuilt from Kučera 1995 to 2000) comprises nine glasshouses for visitors (with a total area of 3000 m² (3,587.97 sq yd) and 13 exhibition themes), nine plantation glasshouses and a large exterior terrain. It continues the legacy of a botanical garden established in 1876 by the Verein der Naturfreunde ("Society of Friends of Nature") on a nearby site and it is therefore considered the oldest one in the Czech Republic.
Events
- MateřinkaMateřinkaMateřinka is a biennial festival of professional puppet theatre for children of the pre-school age organized by the Naivní divadlo theatre in Liberec, Czech Republic....
, a theatre festival biennally held in June
Architecture
Liberec's prominent buildings are the town hall (1893), the castle of Count Clam Gallas, built in the 17th century, and the Ještěd TowerJešted Tower
Ještěd Tower is a 94 metre-tall tower used to transmit television signal built on the top of Ještěd mountain near Liberec in the Czech Republic....
(1968) upon the Ještěd Mountain
Ješted
Ještěd is the highest mountain peak of the Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge near Liberec in the north of the Czech Republic. From the summit there are views into Germany and Poland...
, build by architect Karel Hubáček
Karel Hubáček
Karel Hubáček was a Czech architect who designed the Ještěd Tower and hotel atop the Ještěd mountain near Liberec.Hubáček's best known work was the Ještěd Tower, which was constructed between 1966 and 1973. In 1969, the Ještěd Tower received the Perret Prize from the International Union of...
, which became a symbol of the city. Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
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 Pojišťovna office building (1997).
Liberec Tram System
The first tram was used in Liberec in 1897.Liberec shares the narrow gauge tramway line
Tramway line between Liberec and Jablonec
The 12 km long tramway line between cities Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic is an intercity transportation system connecting these cities.-Overview:...
which connects it to its neighboring city, Jablonec nad Nisou
Jablonec nad Nisou
Jablonec nad Nisou is a town in northern Bohemia, the second largest town of the Liberec Region. It is known as a mountain resort in the Jizera Mountains, an education centre, and a centre of world-production of glass and jewellery...
which is 12 km away. There are also two city lines with standard gauge: The first connects Horní Hanychov (not far to the cable car to Ještěd
Ješted
Ještěd is the highest mountain peak of the Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge near Liberec in the north of the Czech Republic. From the summit there are views into Germany and Poland...
) and Lidové Sady via Fügnerova. The second connects Dolní Hanychov and Lidové Sady via Fügnerova (only during workdays). There also four historical trams. In the city centre there are two tracks as a memorial, in the past trams were used also on the central place in front of town hall.
Sport
FC Slovan LiberecFC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec is a Czech football club founded in the city of Liberec. The club is one of the most successful in the Czech Republic, having won two league titles and the domestic cup since 1993. Slovan Liberec is also one of the richest clubs in the Czech league...
a football club founded in Liberec and currently playing the highest division (Gambrinus liga
Gambrinus Liga
The Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May,...
). FC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec is a Czech football club founded in the city of Liberec. The club is one of the most successful in the Czech Republic, having won two league titles and the domestic cup since 1993. Slovan Liberec is also one of the richest clubs in the Czech league...
is one of the most successful clubs in the 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....
(2 league titles). HC Bílí Tygři Liberec
HC Bílí Tygri Liberec
HC Bílí Tygři Liberec , sometimes called the "Tigers", is an ice hockey team in the Czech Extraliga. Their home arena is Tipsport Arena in Liberec...
finished top of the Extraliga
Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
(the highest national ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league) in 2007-8. Liberec has hosted two European Luge Championships, having done so in 1914
FIL European Luge Championships 1914
The FIL European Luge Championships 1914 took place in Reichenberg, Bohemia under the auspices of the Internatioanler Schlittensportsverband , a forerunner to the International Luge Federation.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:Only the gold medalist was listed in the bsd.de...
and 1939
FIL European Luge Championships 1939
The FIL European Luge Championships 1939 took place in Reichenberg, Czechoslovakia for the second time under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge", a trend that would continue until the...
when the city was then known as Reichenberg. In 2009, it hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
. The Ski Jumping World Cup
Ski jumping World Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup is a ski jumping tournament held yearly by the International Ski Federation since 1979–80 season.- World Cup points :...
always comes to Liberec in January. The World Karate Championships takes place in May 2011
Notable people
- Ferdinand PorscheFerdinand PorscheFerdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
(1875–1951), car designer born in a nearby village (Vratislavice nad Nisou) now part of Liberec - Emil ArtinEmil ArtinEmil Artin was an Austrian-American mathematician of Armenian descent.-Parents:Emil Artin was born in Vienna to parents Emma Maria, née Laura , a soubrette on the operetta stages of Austria and Germany, and Emil Hadochadus Maria Artin, Austrian-born of Armenian descent...
(1898–1962), mathematician - Roderich MenzelRoderich MenzelRoderich Ferdinand Ottomar Menzel was an amateur tennis player and after his active career an author.-Birth:...
(1907–1987), tennis player - Guido BeckGuido BeckGuido Beck was a physicist born in what was then the town of Reichenberg in Austria-Hungary, and is now Liberec in the Czech Republic. He studied physics in Vienna and received his doctorate in 1925, under Hans Thirring. He worked in Leipzig in 1928 as an assistant to Werner Heisenberg...
(1903–1989), physicist - Barbara BouchetBarbara BouchetBarbara Bouchet, is a German-American actress and entrepreneur.She has acted in more than 80 films and television episodes and founded a production company that has produced fitness videos and books as well as owning a fitness studio...
(born 1943), actress and entrepreneur - Vlasta BurianVlasta BurianJosef Vlastimil Burian, better known as Vlasta Burian, was a Czech stage and film actor, singer, comedian, footballer and a film director...
(1891–1962), actor - Martin DammMartin DammMartin Damm was a professional tennis player from Czechia. He is 6'2" 195 lb and is best known as a doubles player . ,his highest singles ranking 42 as of August 1997...
(born 1972), tennis player - Christoph DemantiusChristoph DemantiusChristoph Demantius was a German composer, music theorist, writer and poet. He was an exact contemporary of Monteverdi, and represented a transitional phase in German Lutheran music from the polyphonic Renaissance style to the early Baroque.-Life:He was born in Reichenberg Christoph Demantius (15...
(1567–1643), composer and poet - Tomáš EngeTomáš EngeTomáš Enge is a motor racing driver from the Czech Republic, who has competed in many classes of motorsport, including three races in Formula One.-Career:...
(born 1976), former F1 driver - Herbert FeiglHerbert FeiglHerbert Feigl was an Austrian philosopher and a member of the Vienna Circle.-Biography:The son of a weaver, Feigl was born in Reichenberg , Bohemia, and matriculated at the University of Vienna in 1922...
(1902–1988), philosopher - Friedrich Karl GinzelFriedrich Karl GinzelFriedrich Karl Ginzel was an Austrian astronomer.From 1877 Ginzel worked at the observatory in Vienna...
(1850–1926), astronomer - Konrad HenleinKonrad HenleinKonrad Ernst Eduard Henlein was a leading pro-Nazi ethnic German politician in Czechoslovakia and leader of Sudeten German separatists...
(1898–1945), Nazi politician - Heinrich HerknerHeinrich HerknerHeinrich Herkner was a German economist.Herkner was born in Liberec , Bohemia and died in Berlin, Germany....
(1863–1932), economist - Harald KreutzbergHarald KreutzbergHarald Kreutzberg , was a German dancer and choreographer.Kreutzberg was born at Reichenberg/Liberec. Trained at the Dresden Ballet School, he also studied dance with Mary Wigman and Rudolf Laban....
(1902–1968), dancer and choreographer - Markus LüpertzMarkus LüpertzMarkus Lüpertz is a contemporary German painter and sculptor.In the 1960s, Lüpertz worked primarily in Berlin, moving on to take a professorship at Karlsruhe at the Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe in the 1970s, then to Düsseldorf where he was for over twenty years director of the Kunstakademie...
(born 1941), artist - Petr NedvědPetr NedvedPetr Nedvěd is a Czech Canadian professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He currently plays centre for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga.- Biography :...
(born 1971), former National Hockey League player, now playing for HC Bílí Tygři LiberecHC Bílí Tygri LiberecHC Bílí Tygři Liberec , sometimes called the "Tigers", is an ice hockey team in the Czech Extraliga. Their home arena is Tipsport Arena in Liberec... - Edmund NickEdmund NickEdmund Nick was a German composer, conductor, and music writer.-Biography:The son of a merchant, Nick studied from 1910 to 1915 law in Vienna and Graz. At the same time, he studied music at the Vienna Music Academy and at the Conservatorium Dresden. He received his doctorate in law from the...
(1891–1973), composer - Fritz PreisslerFritz PreisslerFritz Preissler was a Czechoslovak luger who competed in the 1920s and 1930s. He won four medals at European luge championships with three golds in the men's singles event and a silver in the men's doubles event .-References:*...
(1908–1948), luger - Otfried PreußlerOtfried PreußlerOtfried Preußler is a German children's books author. His best-known works are The Robber Hotzenplotz and The Satanic Mill ....
(born 1923), writer - Josef ProkschJosef ProkschJosef Proksch was a Czech pianist and composer of German descent.Proksch, who became blind at the age of 17, was a pupil of Jan Antonín Koželuh. In 1830, Proksch opened the Musikbildungsanstalt in Prague...
(1794–1864), composer and teacher of Bedřich SmetanaBedrich SmetanaBedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music... - Jaroslav ŘídkýJaroslav RídkýJaroslav Řídký was a Czech composer, conductor, harpist, and music teacher.-Life:Řídký was born at Reichenberg, now Liberec. From 1919 to 1923 he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Karel Boleslav Jirák, and Jaroslav Křička...
(1897–1956), composer - Augustin SchrammAugustin SchrammMajor Augustin Schramm was a ethnic German Czechoslovak communist professional and NKVD agent. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in 1930s...
(1907–1948), communist politician and officer - Cesar BaenaCesar BaenaCesar Augusto Baena Sierraalta, , is a Venezuelan cross country skier. He was the winner of the 7 km Merino Muster in New Zealand in 2009. He is the first South-American Cross Country Skier to participate in World Cup for Cross Country Skiing.- Education :Baena was born in Altamira, Caracas...
(born 1986), cross country skier - Martin CiklMartin CiklMartin Cikl is a Czech ski jumper who has competed since 2002. He finished 41st in the individual large hill event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver....
(born 1987), World cup ski jumper - Jaroslav Masopust (born 1929), physician, clinical biochemist
- Svetlana Frolikova (born 1976), porn actress
- Jaroslav NedvědJaroslav NedvedJaroslav Nedvěd is a Czech ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Plzeň of the Czech Extraliga.-Early career:...
(* 1969), ice-hockey player - Jan VíšekJan VíšekJan Víšek is a Czech professional ice hockey player who currently plays with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec in the Czech Extraliga.Víšek previously played for HC Berounští Medvědi and HC Benátky nad Jizerou.-External links:...
(* 1981), ice-hockey player - Lukáš DernerLukáš DernerLukáš Derner is a Czech professional ice hockey player. He plays defence for HC Liberec in the Czech Extraliga....
(* 1983), ice-hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
Liberec is twinned with: AmersfoortAmersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
, Netherlands Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, France Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Germany Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
, Israel St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
, Switzerland Zittau
Zittau
Zittau is a city in the south east of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, close to the border tripoint of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. , there are 28,638 people in the city. It is part of the Görlitz district....
, Germany Dunkerque, France Kovrov
Kovrov
Kovrov is a city and the administrative center of Kovrovsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Klyazma River . Kovrov's population as of the preliminary results of the 2010 Census was 145,492; down from 155,499 recorded in the 2002 Census, and further down from...
, Russia