Ústí nad Labem (Czech pronunciation:[ˈuːsciːnadˈlabɛm]ⓘ;German:Aussig) is a city in theCzech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants and is the capital of theÚstí nad Labem Region. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an activeriver port, is an important railway junction.
Ústí nad Labem is divided into fourself-governing boroughs.[2] In addition, Ústí nad Labem consists of 22 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[3]
The nameÚstí means 'river mouth' in Czech and refers to the mouth of theBílina, which lies immediately south of the city centre. The suffixnad Labem means 'on the Elbe', and serves to distinguish the city from the other places called Ústí in the Czech Republic. The German nameAussig (earlierAusk orUsk) derives fromÚsť, an abbreviated form of the Czech name.[4] BeforeCzechoslovak independence, it was the usual name for the city in English.[5][6]
Ústí nad Labem is located about 65 kilometres (40 mi) north ofPrague and 45 km (28 mi) south ofDresden in Germany. It lies mostly in a hilly landscape of theCentral Bohemian Uplands, but it also extends into theMost Basin in the northwest. The highest point is the hill Široký vrch at 659 m (2,162 ft) above sea level. The city is situated at the confluence of theElbe andBílina rivers. Half ofLake Milada lies in the municipal territory. The southern part of the territory lies in the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area.
The first verified written mention is in the charter of the chapter at the Church of St. Stephen inLitoměřice, dated to 1056 or 1057. In 1249, it was first mentioned with the title of royal town.[11] The charter of the Prague Benedictine monastery from 993 was considered to be the first written mention of Ústí nad Labem, but its legitimacy has been called into question.[12]
In the second half of the 13th century, KingOttokar II invitedGerman settlers into the country and granted them a German form of municipal incorporation, thereby founding the city proper. In 1423, as King of Bohemia,Sigismund pledged the town to ElectorFrederick I of Meissen, who occupied it with aSaxon garrison. On 16 June 1426, after the city was besieged by the 25,000Hussites, the besiegers defeat a German army of 70,000 troops was sent to its relief but the Hussites defeated the Germans amid great slaughter. The next day, the Hussites stormed and razed the town. It was left derelict for three years before rebuilding began in 1429.[6]
As part of theKingdom of Bohemia, it was eventually incorporated into theHabsburg monarchy and heavily industrialized over the 19th century. After theCompromise of 1867, it headed the Aussig District, one of Austrian Bohemia's 94 district commissions (Bezirkshauptmannschaften).[13] In the 1870s, with only 11,000 people, it was a major producer of woolen goods,linen, paper, ships, and chemicals and carried on a large trade in grain, fruit,mineral water, lumber, and coal.[5] By 1900, large-scale immigration had boosted the population to nearly 40,000, mostly German, and addedglassworking andstone to its trades.[6] The local river port became the busiest in the entireAustria-Hungary, surpassing even the seaport inTrieste.[14]
The factories of Aussig—as it was then known—were an early centre of theNazi movement. The German Workers' Party in Austria (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei in Österreich) was founded on 15 November 1903 and later gave rise to theSudeten German Party andAustrian National Socialism. Their books continued to be printed in Ústí nad Labem even after the formation ofCzechoslovakia in 1918.
During the 1930 census, Ústí nad Labem was home to 43,793 residents: 32,878 considered German, 8,735 Czech or Slovak, 222 Jews, 16 Russians, and 11 Hungarians.[15] Ústí nad Labem was ceded toNazi Germany with the rest of theSudetenland in October 1938 under the terms of theMunich Agreement and placed under the administration of theRegierungsbezirk Aussig of theReichsgau Sudetenland. On New Year's Eve of that year, the Nazis burnt down the localsynagogue; a meat factory was later raised in its place. TheJewish community in Ústí nad Labem was mostly exterminated over the course ofWorld War II amidthe Holocaust. In April 1945, the city was severely bombed by theUnited States Air Force.[citation needed]
Shortly after the war ended, on 31 July 1945, an explosion of the local ammunition depot triggered apogrom of the German population, known as theÚstí massacre, mostly at the hands of out-of-town paramilitary groups. Whilst the official government investigation attributed the explosion toNazi Werwolves (German saboteurs), contemporary historians have questioned the attribution as several other equally probable possibilities have been proposed. The pogrom was used as part of the justification of thePotsdam Conference todeport German citizens from Czechoslovakia, as continued cohabitation was argued to be impossible. It is estimated that between 80 and a 100 people died in the explosion and subsequent murders, nearly double the 43 confirmed victims.[16][17]
Beginning in the 1960s dissidence and general unhappiness with communist rule gave way to new artistic pursuits tackling the country's issues, Ústí nad Labem was primarily representative of this with Kladivadlo, a theatre which moved to Ústí nad Labem after it ran into issues with support from organizers, and Dialog a monthly political magazine.[18]
The city gained notoriety in 1999, when theMatiční Street Wall was built to separate Matiční Street with mainlyRomani population from other residents, which turned into an international scandal. The wall was torn down after six weeks of its existence.[19]
Ústí nad Labem is the economic centre of the Ústí nad Labem Region and the seat of many industrial companies. The largest industrial employers with its headquarters in Ústí nad Labem and at least 500 employees are Spolek pro chemickou a hutní výrobu (chemical industry) andStrabag Rail (construction industry). Other large industrial companies in the city includeKone Industrial (manufacture of elevators), Severotisk (printing industry) andPierburg (manufacture of car parts).[22]
The city has a network of mass transport that includes bus andtrolley bus lines. The city has its own transport company,Dopravní podnik města Ústí nad Labem.[24]
Ústí nad Labem is an important railway node with four railway stations. The largest of these isÚstí nad Labem main railway station which is served by internationalEuroCity trains. Ústí nad Labem lies on the line from Prague to Děčín, which is part of several international lines, and thus the city has direct connections withBerlin,Budapest,Graz andZürich. Lines of national importance are Prague–Cheb and Ústí nad Labem –Kolín.[25]
TheElbe River Line is a junction with the West-European river lines opening access to Germany, Benelux countries, northern France and to important sea ports. Freight transportation and pleasure cruises are run on the water line sectionPardubice –Chvaletice – Ústí nad Labem –Hřensko – Hamburg.
An airport for small sports planes (ICAO code LKUL) is located northwest of the city. The nearest airports for airliners are inPrague (64 km) andDresden, Germany (56 km).
During the 1950s and 1960s, themotorcycle speedway team AMK Ústí nad Labem raced in the city. It raced initially at a stadium in the Bukov area until it was converted into an athletics facility in 1960. Then the team raced at a track in the Klíše area from 1967 to 1968 and finally inPolepy.[27] The team raced in the inaugural 1956Czechoslovak Championship and won two silver medals and three bronze medals from 1961 to 1971.[28]
TheStřekov Castle is one of the main sights of Ústí nad Labem, and one of the most visited tourist destinations in the whole region. It is located in a southern suburb of the city. The castle was built in 1316–1319. With a break in 1945–1992, it has been owned by theLobkowicz family since 1563.[29]
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with leaning tower
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built in 1318 and is located in the city centre. It is well known for its leaning tower. The tower is 65 metres (213 ft) high and its deviation, caused by bombing at the end of World War II, is 201 centimetres (6.59 ft). It is the most leaning tower north of theAlps.[30]
A significant landmark is the hill Větruše with an observation tower and the Větruše Castle, which was built in 1847 as a hotel and restaurant serving cultural and social purposes.[31]
In Krásné Březno part is located theÚstí nad Labem Zoo, founded in 1908. A notable building is the Krásné Březno Castle. It is formed by the Old Castle, built before 1568, and by the New Castle, built in the early 17th century and modified in the Baroque style in the first half of the 18th century. The castle is surrounded by an English park. Nowadays the castle serves as the seat of the branch of National Heritage Institute of the Czech Republic.[32]
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