History of Prachatice

Foundation of the Town on the Trade Path	The Decline In 17th Century
14th century	18th Century
Trade With Salt	19th Century
Culture Development	20th Century
15th century - the Hussite Wars	Today - an Urban Restoration Area
Development in 16th century

     During the Hussite Wars the town - as an important strategic point - was conquered by the Hussite army twice -for the first time in April 25,1420 and for the second time in November 12,1420.The second attack was crictical for the town and its inhabitants - most of the inhabitants were massacred,some of them were burnt to death in a vestry of the church.In this way Prachatice fell to hands of the radical Hussites who left here a numerous garrison.Once the compacts were announced,the inhabitants of Prachatice recognized Sigismund of Luxembourg as the Czech King and in December 18,1436 the town was rewarded the status of royal town.At the same time the emperor confirmed all the older privileges concerning especially the salt trade and the store.
     But the status of royal town wasn't held by Prachatice for a long time.In 1437 emperor Sigismund put the town in paw to Jan Smil of Křemže.But the town didn't stay under a new lordship for a long time: in 1439 Smil was captured by Oldřich of Rožmberk and was held in prison in Krumlov Castle till the year1447 when he was executed.Oldřich of Rožmberk evidenced his right to the town on the basis of a falsified document according to which in December 21,1421 Emperor Sigismund put him the towns Prachatice and Volary with nearby villages in paw.Later Oldřich sold Prachatice to brothers Prokop and Jan of Rabštejn.The town stayed under the Rabštejns till 1493 when Ladislav of Rabštejn sold it to the highest provincial scriber and the Lord High Steward of the King's House Jan of Roupov,from whom the town was bought by brothers Vok, Petr and Oldřich of Rožmberk in 1501.
     Protected building sights show that 15th century didn't bring the town only the disaster in the form of the attackts of the Hussite armies.After the wars the town population was even bigger than at the beginning of the century,and that's why it was necessary to extend the number of town houses.And so the new houses were built in the close circle of the town on the east side of the square at that time.The houses in the square,probably the first ones built of stone, may be dated according to the style of stone portals to the second half of 15th century.

(Text: Mgr.Jana Koutná using the article of Jan Himler:Prachatice,in: Zprávy památkové péče Praha 1950)