Founded as a royal city in the late 13th century, Plzeň became an important town for trade on routes linkingBohemia withBavaria. By the 14th century, it had grown to be the third-largest city in Bohemia. The city was besieged three times during the 15th centuryHussite Wars, when it became a centre of resistance against the Hussites. During theThirty Years' War in the early 17th century, the city was temporarily occupied after theSiege of Plzeň.
In the 19th century, the city rapidly industrialised and became home to theŠkoda Works, which became one of the most important engineering companies inAustria-Hungary and later inCzechoslovakia. The city is known worldwide as the home ofPilsner beer, created byBavarian brewerJosef Groll in the city in 1842; today, thePilsner Urquell Brewery is the largest brewery in the Czech Republic.
Plzeň consists of tenself-governing boroughs.[3] In addition, Plzeň consists of 25 municipal parts, whose borders do not respect the boundaries of boroughs (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[4]
Plzeň is located about 78 km (48 mi) west ofPrague.[5] The city is situated at the confluences of four rivers:Mže,Úhlava,Úslava andRadbuza. From the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza, the river is known as theBerounka. Plzeň lies mostly in thePlasy Uplands, with small parts of the municipal territory extending into theŠvihov Highlands to the east and south. The highest point is the hill Chlum at 416 m (1,365 ft) above sea level. The lowest point is the river bed of the Berounka at 293 m (961 ft).[6] The largest body of water is the České údolí Reservoir, built on the Radbuza. A system of fishponds is located on the northern edge of the city.
Plzeň has a cool andtemperateOceanic climate (Cfb). The average annual precipitation is 525 mm (21 in). The annual average temperature is 8.4 °C (47.1 °F). The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from −28.0 °C (−18.4 °F) on 12 February 1985 to 40.1 °C (104.2 °F) on 27 July 1983.[7]
Climate data for Plzeň-Bolevec, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–present
The first written mention of Plzeň Castle is from 976. The city of New Plzeň was founded nearby in 1295 by KingWenceslaus II. The old settlement then became known asStarý Plzenec and New Plzeň became known as Plzeň. It quickly became an important city on trade routes leading fromBohemia toNuremberg andRegensburg. The first written mention of beer brewing is from 1307. In the 14th century, the city had about 3,000 inhabitants on an area of 20 ha (49 acres), making it the third largest city in Bohemia after Prague andKutná Hora.[13]
During theHussite Wars, it was the centre of Catholic resistance to theHussites:Prokop the Great unsuccessfullybesieged it three times, and it joined the league of Catholic nobles against KingGeorge of Poděbrady. In the 1470s and 1480s, the city had the firstprinting press in Bohemia. The first book printed here and therefore the oldest book in Bohemia isStatuta written byArnošt of Pardubice, which was printed in 1476.[13]
EmperorRudolf II made Plzeň his seat from 1599 to 1600. During theThirty Years' War, the town was taken byMansfeld in 1618 after theSiege of Plzeň, and it was not recaptured by Imperial troops until 1621.Wallenstein made it his winter quarters in 1633. Accused of treason and losing the support of his army, he fled the town on 23 February 1634 toEger/Cheb, where he was assassinated two days later. The town was increasingly threatened by theSwedes in the last years of the war. The city commanderJan van der Croon strengthened the fortifications of Plzeň from 1645 to 1649. Swedish troops passed the town in 1645 and 1648 without attacking it. The town and region have been staunchly Catholic despite the Hussite Wars.[14]
From the end of the 17th century, the architecture of Plzeň has been influenced by theBaroque style.
In the second half of the 19th century, Plzeň, already an important trade centre forBohemia, near the Bavarian/German border, began to industrialise rapidly. In 1869Emil Škoda founded theŠkoda Works, which became the most important and influential engineering company in the country and a crucial supplier of arms to theAustro-Hungarian Army. By 1917, theŠkoda Works employed over 30,000 workers.
Plzeň in the interbellum
After 1898, the second largest employer was the National Railways train workshop, with about 2,000 employees: this was the largest rail repair shop in allAustria-Hungary. Between 1861 and 1877, the Plzeň railway junction was completed, and in 1899, the first tram line started in the city. This burst of industry had two important effects: the growth of the localCzech population and of the urban poor. After 1868, the first Czech mayor of the city was elected.
FollowingCzechoslovak independence fromAustria-Hungary in 1918, the ethnic German minority in the countryside bordering the city of Plzeň hoped to be united with Austria and were unhappy at being included in Czechoslovakia. Many allied themselves to theNazis after 1933 in the hope thatAdolf Hitler might be able to unite them with their German-speaking neighbours.[citation needed]
Following theMunich Agreement in 1938, Plzeň became a frontier town as the creation of theSudetenland movedNazi Germany's borders closer to the city's outer limits. During theGerman occupation from 1939 to 1945, theŠkoda Works in Pilsen was forced to provide armaments for theWehrmacht, and Czech contributions, particularly in the field of tanks, were noted. The Nazis operated aGestapo prison in the city,[15] and aforced labour camp in the Karlov district.[16]
Between 17 and 26 January 1942, the majority of the city's Jewish population, over 2,000 people, were deported by the Nazis to theTheresienstadt concentration camp inTerezín.
In April 1945, as World War II neared its end, Plzeň endured its most devastating air raids. On 17 April, BritishRoyal Air Force bombers targeted the city's marshalling yard, aiming to disrupt German military logistics. The attack resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of residential areas. Just days later, on 25 April, the U.S.Eighth Air Force launched a major bombing mission against theŠkoda Works armament factory in Plzeň. This operation marked the last heavy bomber mission by the Eighth Air Force against an industrial target in Europe. The raids caused extensive damage to the city's infrastructure and left a lasting impact on its inhabitants. These attacks were part of the Allies' final efforts to cripple Nazi Germany's war capabilities.[17]
On 6 May 1945, in the final days before theend of World War II in Europe, Plzeň was liberated from Nazi Germany by the16th Armored Division of GeneralGeorge Patton'sThird Army. Also participating in the liberation of the city were elements of the 97th and 2nd Infantry Divisions supported by the PolishHoly Cross Mountains Brigade. Other Third Army units liberated major portions of Western Bohemia. The rest ofCzechoslovakia was liberated from German control by the SovietRed Army. Elements of the 3rd Army, as well as units from the 1st Army, remained in Plzeň until late November 1945.[18]
After the end of the war, the city's ethnic German minority population wasexpelled and their property was confiscated in accordance with the provisions of thePotsdam Agreement.
After the1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état, the government launched a currency reform in 1953, which caused a wave of discontent, including thePlzeň uprising. On 1 June 1953, over 20,000 people, mainly workers at the Škoda Works, began protesting against the government. Protesters forced their way into the town hall and threw communist symbols, furniture and other objects out of the windows. The protest caused a retaliation from the government, which included the destruction of the statue ofTomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia. The statue has since been re-erected.[citation needed]
Plzeň is a centre of business in the western part of the Czech Republic. Plzeň produces about two-thirds of the Plzeň Region's GDP, even though it contains only 30% of its population.[21] While part of this is explained by commuters to the city, it is one of the most prosperous cities in the Czech Republic.
Plzeň is the seat of many large corporations. The largest employers with their headquarters in Plzeň and at least 1,000 employees are:[22]
TheŠkoda company, established in Plzeň in 1859, has been an important element of Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak and Czech engineering, and one of the biggest European arms factories. During the Communist era of the country (1948–1989), the company's production had been directed to the needs of theEastern Bloc. Disarray in the era after theVelvet Revolution, and unsuccessful efforts to gain new Western markets, resulted in sales problems and debts. After a huge restructuring process, the company was divided into several subsidiaries, which were later sold. The most important successor companies areŠkoda Transportation andDoosan Škoda Power.
The Stock company, located in the Božkov district, is the largest producer ofliquors in the Czech Republic.Fernet Stock has long been the best-selling herbal liqueur on the Czech market.[23]
Since the late 1990s, the city has experienced high growth in foreign investment. In 2007, Israeli mall developer Plaza Centers opened thePlzeň Plaza, a 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft) shopping mall and entertainment centre featuring a multiplex cinema fromCinema City Czech Republic.
ThePlzeň agglomeration was defined as a tool for drawing money from theEuropean Structural and Investment Funds. It is an area that includes the city and its surroundings, linked to the city by commuting and migration. It has about 328,000 inhabitants.
Traditional fermenting building (centre) and modern fermenting building (left)Pilsner Urquell
Plzeň is well known for thePilsner Urquell (since 1842) andGambrinus (since 1869)breweries, currently owned by Asahi Group Holdings.
Plzeň is an important city in the history of beer, including the development ofPilsner.[24] In 1375, Bohemian KingCharles IV endowed the Dobrow Monastery near Plzeň with the beer right, and it is one of the oldest breweries to survive to modern times.[25][26] Many breweries were located in the interconnected deep cellars of the city.[27][28]
The officials of Plzeň founded a city-owned brewery in 1839,Bürger Brauerei (Citizens' Brewery, nowPlzeňský Prazdroj),[29] and recruited Bavarian brewerJosef Groll (1813–1887) who produced the first batch of modern Pilsner beer on 5 October 1842. This included mastering the art of tripledecoction mashing.[24] The combination of pale colour from the new malts, Plzeň's remarkably soft water,Saaznoble hops from nearbyŽatec (Saaz in German) and Bavarian-stylelagering produced a clear, golden beer which was regarded as a sensation. Improving transport meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Central Europe, andPilsner Brauart-style brewing was widely imitated.
In 1859, "Pilsner Bier" was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Plzeň. In 1898, thePilsner Urquell trade mark was created to emphasize this being the brewery where the style originated.
The Plzeň metropolitan area is largely served by a network of trams,trolleybuses and buses operated by the PMDP. Like other continental European cities, tickets bought from vending machines or small shops are valid for any transport run by the city of Plzeň. For residents of the city, a Plzeň Card can be purchased and, through a system of "topping up" be used on any public transport with no limitations, as long as it is paid up and valid. Tickets can be purchased in vehicles with a contactless smart card.[30]
Plzeň is served by the Plzeň Líně Airport, which is a public domestic and private international airport. It is located southwest of Plzeň, just outside of the territory of Plzeň and named after the municipality ofLíně.
Since 31 May 1993, Plzeň has been the seat of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň. The first bishop (current bishop emeritus) was František Radkovský. The current bishop is Tomáš Holub. The diocese covers an area with a total of 818,700 inhabitants.[citation needed] The diocesan see is in St. Bartholomew's Cathedral on Republiky Square in Plzeň. The diocese is divided into 10 vicariates with a total of 72 parishes.
The seat of the West Bohemian seniorate (literary presbytery; Central European protestant equivalent of a diocese) ofEvangelical Church of Czech Brethren is currently set in Plzeň. There are two other parish congregations of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in thePlzeň-City District – The Western congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Plzeň, known as The Western congregation, located in the Western part of the city in the borough of Jižní předměstí, and The Congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Chrást, located inChrást in the very east of Plzeň-City District.
The seat of the Plzeň diocese of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church is located in Plzeň (although the bishop has resided inMirovice for several years due to a reconstruction of the episcopacy). The current bishop is Filip Štojdl.
The Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church is headquartered in Plzeň.[31] St. Paul's Lutheran Church is a church of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.[32]
The other churches also present in Plzeň are the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Czech Republic, the United Methodist Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Brethren, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the Greek Catholic Church, and others.
TheUniversity of West Bohemia was founded in Plzeň 1991. It comprises nine faculties and has approximately 12,000 students.[33]
The Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University (Czech:Lékařská fakulta v Plzni Univerzity Karlovy) is one of the fivemedical faculties ofCharles University. It has about 2,000 students.[34]
Martin Luther Primary School (Základní škola Martina Luthera) is a private Christian school of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.[35][31]
The historic centre of Plzeň, which is formed by theNáměstí Republiky square and adjacent streets, has been protected as anurban monument reservation since 1989. The most prominent landmark of Plzeň is theCathedral of St. Bartholomew, built in the Gothic style in the late 13th century.[38] It is protected as anational cultural monument. Its tower is the highest in the Czech Republic at 102.6 m (337 ft). The interior contains hundreds of works of art, the most valuable of which is the statue called the Plzeň Madonna. It is one of the most valuable Gothic monuments in the Czech Republic.[39]
Other notable sight at the square is the City Hall, also protected as a national cultural monument. This Renaissance monument was built in 1554–1559 by the Italian architect Giovanni de Statia, on the site of two late Gothic houses, whose fragments have survived to this day. In 1907–1912, it was reconstructed in the Neo-Renaissance style and decorated withsgraffiti.[40] The plague column on the square near the City Hall is the work of local sculptor Kristian Widman and dates back to 1681.[41]
TheFranciscan Monastery is a Gothic structure from the 14th century. The monastery complex includes the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Chapel of Saint Barbara and Chapterhouse. The main building houses the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art of the Diocese of Plzeň.[42] Next to the monastery is the main building of the West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň. The museum was founded in 1878 and, in terms of the scope of its collections, it is one of the largest museum institutions in the Czech Republic. The West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň is the administrator of several other museums in the region, including the museum in the Franciscan Monastery.[43]
Among the oldest monuments in the city centre are the remains of the Gothic city fortifications. They date from the second quarter of the 14th century and a late Gothic reconstruction took place during the 15th century. In 1618–1659, modern Baroque bastion fortification was made. Most of the walls were demolished, but a few fragments survive, often as part of new townhouses.[44]
Beneath the historic city centre is an underground labyrinth of tunnels and cellars. With a total length of 20 km (12 mi), it is the third largest such labyrinth in the country. The corridors were gradually built since the 13th century. Almost 800 m (2,600 ft) of the corridors are open to the public. The entrance to the labyrinth is from the Brewing Museum.[45]
TheGreat Synagogue is the second largest synagogue in Europe (after theDohány Street Synagogue inBudapest). It is situated just outside the urban monument reservation. It was constructed in 1892–1893 and is an example of theNeo-Renaissance architecture. It is used both for religious services and for organizing cultural events for the public.[46]
The Old Synagogue was built in the Neo-Renaissance in 1875. It was built next to the Jewish school (1857–1859). Today, the synagogue is occasionally used for cultural events and the Jewish school serves as a museum in memory of the deported Jews of Plzeň.[47]
A popular tourist attraction is the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery tour, where visitors can discover the history and process of beer brewing in Plzeň. The tour also includes historic cellars.[48] A notable landmark and technical monument in the premises of the brewery is the historic water tower. It was built in 1905–1907 and its visit is part of the brewing tour.[49]
In 2024, the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery was the most visited tourist destination in the Plzeň Region and the 12th most visited tourist destination in the country. Other popular tourist destinations in the city includePlzeň Zoo and Botanical Garden, DinoPark Plzeň (amusement park with moving dinosaur models), andTechmania Science Center.[50]
The centres of Božkov, Černice and Koterov, which were once separate municipalities, have a well-preserved historic character and folk architecture, and are protected asvillage monument reservations.[51] The last of the three national cultural monuments in Plzeň is the Bolevec Homestead, located in Plzeň-Bolevec. The reason for the protection of this Neoclassical rural homestead is its exceptional state of preservation. It is a notable example of the development of rural folk architecture in thePlzeň Region in the 18th–20th centuries. The homestead was first documented on maps in 1781, but it is certain that it has medieval origins. Today it houses anopen-air museum.[52]
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