Brief history of Rokycany

 

This website aims to provide comprehensive information on the town of Rokycany, one of the oldest settlements in western Bohemia. The website focuses on architecture, history, town planning, industry etc. Here is a brief outline of Rokycany's history. The settlement was founded sometime before 1000 AD in a fertile valley, intersected by two streams, namely Borecký potok and Padrťský potok. From their confluence the river of Klabavka begins. The village of Rokycany was strategically located on important route connecting Prague with Bavaria and it was incorporated into feudal domain of the Bishop of Prague. In 1110 AD Rokycany entered recorded history, a crucial meeting between antagonistic Bohemian dukes and Henry V the King of Germany took place right here. The village, primarily agricultural, was centered round the bishop’s castle, location of which is however not clear. Some historians place the castle into the area of what is today the “Malé náměstí” Square, some see it located in the proximity of today's main church. The castle was probably not very luxurious, since it served merely as a “checkpoint” for bishop's administrator. It was likely partially built of wood. The village of Rokycany however was not a mere outpost. Analysis suggests that eastern portion of today's historical core of the town, along with substantial part of today's Pražské předměstí suburb, especially around the “Nerudovo náměstí” Square may have been settled as early as then, making Rokycany one of the more complex settlements in the Plzeň region.

Significant changes occurred in 13th and 14th centuries. The Kingdom of Bohemia was thriving at that time, with improving conditions for farming and booming urban economy. Rokycany, still owned by the Bishop of Prague, grew impressively then. A new Our Lady of the Snows church (kostel Panny Marie Sněžné) was erected and it remains until now the dominant of the town. Small monastery was established next to it. The surrounding village was reorganized into town as a new neighborhood based on regular street grid was founded west of the old settlement. In the center of newly expanded Rokycany, new square was marked out. So today Rokycany has two main squares: the minor, eastern (remnant of the older village, called "Malé náměstí", literally "Small Square")  and the larger, western (“Masarykovo náměstí”). A third one ("Nerudovo náměstí" Square in Pražské předměstí suburb) might be also of pre-13th century origin.  As a part of this expansion, Rokycany was fortified by town walls too. The only entrance into the town thus led through three (later four) guarded gates: in the east the “Pražská brána” (Prague Gate], in the west the “Plzeňská brána” (Pilsen Gate), in the south the “Šťáhlavská" or "Nová brána” (Šťáhlavy Gate also known as New Gate, probably added much later) and in the north “Saská" or "Volová brána” (Saxon Gate also known as Oxen Gate). Parts of older village found themselves beyond the limits of the wall, thus suburbs appeared, called “Pražské předměstí” (Prague suburb) and “Plzeňské předměstí” (Pilsen suburb). Suburbs remained mostly agricultural, while the fortified district of the town evolved into a community of craftsmen and patricians.

In early 15th century Hussite Movement swept through the Czech lands. The Hussites did not acted solely as religious reformers. They actively pursued their goals through well-organized military units. The result was decades-long war. Rokycany was not spared and the town was looted, the monastery violated and monks tortured. After the Hussite wars, Catholicism lost its grip on Rokycany, majority of locals belonging to the Hussite church (independent pre-Reformation denomination). Town was repeatedly traded among several noblemen, until it was finally at the end of the 15th century sold to the king of Bohemia. To explain the significance of that purchase, we have to see that the king usually gave broad autonomy to the towns he owned. Rokycany was no longer an item in the hands of feudal owner but an entity protected by the king, since 1584 self-governing. In the era of Renaissance Rokycany witnessed long-lasting prosperity again. The town however did not expand territorially since the walled-in district was sufficient and there was not any major growth of population. The major change was not in quantity rather in quality. The prosperous patricians decorated their houses with intricate frescoes and stone gates. Even within the town's suburbs wooden farmhouses gave way to wealthier buildings. Not too much is left from this golden age, but the decorated gates of the houses No.9/I or No.10/I at the “Masarykovo náměstí” Square give a glimpse of how Rokycany may have looked more than 400 years ago.

The Thirty Years´ War interrupted the peace and prosperity. The town was repeatedly looted and burned down by several armies, most tragically in 1639, when the Swedish soldiers destroyed the whole town. Inhabitants were forcibly converted back to Catholicism. It took decades before Rokycany recovered. In 1651 the population was merely 774 and at the end of 17th century many of the houses were still in ruins. In 18th century the economy of the Czech lands bounced back and Rokycany quickly restored its wealth. The baroque era changed the face of the town again. Victorious Catholicism was manifested in sacral architecture, such as the statue of John of Nepomuk in the “Malé náměstí” Square or the mighty pillar of Holy Virgin in the “Masarykovo náměstí” Square. A good example of the baroque architecture is the nearby house No.88/I, so-called “Dumetovský dům”. In 1784 Rokycany was struck with fatal disaster. On September 12th, fire broke out in small farmhouse at the outskirts. Due to strong winds it spread quickly and within several hours whole town was destroyed. Only handful of buildings escaped the fire and dozens of fine baroque houses fell to the ashes. The consequent reconstruction was relatively swift. Rokycany was given some emergency funds by the government and patricians mobilized all their financial resources. The new face of the town was however fundamentally different from what it looked like before 1784. The new era favored rationally designed architecture without ornaments. The colorful façades with statues and religious paintings damaged by the fire gave way to rather simple new houses. The main church was rebuilt by famous Prague architect I. J. Palliardi in modest style, the town-hall was rebuilt by A. Palliardi, another member of that famous family, in similarly frugal way.

In 1799 municipal government decided to abolish the town’s fortification, the symbol of old times. Improving medical care and better living standards brought about rapid increase of population, from roughly 1,800 by the end of 18th century to 3,500 at the middle of 19th century. The traditional economy of the town reshaped within one or generations. The suburbs remained partly agricultural and artisan, but industry became the main source of income for the inhabitants. In the beginning the traditional small-scale textile industry remained strong, but in the second half of 19th century it was completely replaced by the dynamic iron industry. The region of Rokycany is rich in iron ore and since Middle Ages iron has been produced here in multiple small iron-mills. The town of Rokycany owned one of the biggest iron-mills, namely in neighboring village of Klabava. This municipally-owned company provided a steady income for the town budget. Rokycany also capitalized on large forests it owned, either in the environs of the town but also in areas located as far as 25 km faraway. Thus Rokycany was considered one of the richest towns in Bohemia in 19th century. It is however clear that Rokycany could not compete with the city of Pilsen (Plzeň). Plzeň was the seat of regional administration. It was located in the center of gravity of western Bohemia and Rokycany thus remained somewhat overshadowed by her.

In 1862 railway link between Prague a Bavaria was opened and Rokycany obtained fast railway connection with major industrial areas of Central Europe. In 1869 local railway between Rokycany and Mirošov opened, providing access to the coalfields in Mirosov basin. Rapid industrial boom followed. In 1870 Rokycany saw opening of the coking plant, in 1871 the new sugar refinery and in 1872 the gasworks. In 1872 construction of  “Bedřichova huť” iron-works was completed, however in the following year the economy of Austria-Hungary, part of which Czech lands were, collapsed and many of the newly started businesses went bankrupt. Rokycany was severely damaged by this sudden change and Bedřichova huť remained out of operation for many years. The period of 1873-1890 slowed back development of Rokycany. The municipal budget was plagued by deficits and industrial activity stagnated. The situation changed only after 1890 with new “Young Czech” Party winning the seats in the municipal government. The Young Czechs were notorious for their fervent anti-German nationalism, but in Rokycany with very small German community such xenophobic platform was not viable. Young Czechs in Rokycany thus concentrated on vision of radical modernization of the town. New mayor Jan Anichober ordered the medieval fortification walls, not used anymore, be pulled down and at their place a new “boulevard” was marked out, today “Jiráskova ulice” street, loosely modeled on "Ringstrasse" concept in Vienna. On many places in the town new prestigious public or private buildings were erected, mainly in neo-renaissance style, such as new school, “sokolovna” community-center, high school, public spa or luxurious houses No.82/I and 83-84/I. The local business activity recovered as well with “Guthovy železárny” iron-works founded in 1897, “Hirschovy zelezarny” iron-works in 1882, “Bedrichova hut” iron-works in 1883, “mestske zelezarny” iron-works in 1898. The plethora of local industrial companies was further broadened after 1900 (“nový pivovar” brewery in 1901, “městská válcovna” rolling-mill in 1910, “kovohute” machinery factory in 1911 etc.). The adoration of modernity had also its negative side effects. Municipality was insensitive to the historical architectonic heritage. So in 1900 the ancient “Saská brána” (Saxon Gate) was demolished. In 1896, old patrician house No.5/I was replaced by mediocre neo-renaissance building. 

The new industry and influx of immigrants from the countryside also brought about expansion of the town´s built-up area. Initially this expansion was rather modest but soon it accelerated and the agricultural land around Rokycany was gradually claimed by urban construction. The new neighborhood called “Nový svět” grew west of the old “Plzeňské předměstí” (Pilsen suburb) along the Madlonova, Alešova, Sedláčkova and Litohlavská Streets. Another new neighborhood arose on the right banks of “Padrťský potok” River along the Horákova, Wünschova, Tylova and Pivovarská Streets. The area south of the railway station remained uninhabited until late 19th century, although in 1876 “Hammerova pila” sawmill was built there. But as the growing town demanded further area, those spacious tracts of flat land south of the railway attracted investors. New large army barracks grew here in 1899, an impressive mansion-like building. At the same time, a group of luxurious villas was built here. The southern sector of the town was quickly becoming Rokycany´s main development zone. Meanwhile in the southeastern sector, industrial development along the Zeyerova ulice Street prompted construction of several rows of uniform tenement houses for local workers along the Čelakovského, Smolíkova, Zvonařova and Práchovna Streets. The new district was called Práchovna. North of the town, slopes above the Klabavka River were turned into public park with romantic views of the old town and specific promenade-style architecture.

After 1918 Rokycany experienced an unprecedented growth. The population soared from roughly 6,500 in 1918 to almost 10,000 twenty years later. But it was not solely the arithmetics of population growth but rather the growing demand for higher quality of housing that changed Rokycany fundamentaly in that era. While in pre-1918 times, most people lived either in old patrician houses, or in newer tenement houses, after 1918 people increasingly preferred individual one-family house with a private garden. The concept of garden city was no longer an eccentric fashion for the rich bourgeoisie, but an affordable alternative to the crowded life in the historical core of the town, even here in the provincial Czech town. The municipality of Rokycany fostered this new trend by means of generous planning policy that allowed for a swift conversion of agricultural plots into building plots. The central government provided affordable mortgage guarantees and several co-operative housing companies were founded in Rokycany. As a result of those favorable conditions, Rokycany began to expand. In 1921 the new Rašínov neighborhood was founded in the southern sector of the town next to army barracks. In its first phase, some 25 houses grew in Rašínov and within few years the neighborhood expanded to 60 houses. By 1938 Rašínov had grown to more than 200 houses, including the area west of the “Rakovský potok” Stream (sometimes considered separate neighborhood called “Za Rakováčkem”). Hořicov neighborhood was founded in 1921 near the Zeyerova ulice Street at the southeastern outskirts of the town. It began with roughly 30 houses for local workers but later many more were built, including interesting row of uniform houses in Bezručova ulice street in 1927. Additional houses were built in Práchovna neighborhood. The municipality invested also into the housing for the low-income people, building cheaper tenement houses for them. Of those, the most interesting are the two houses  in Madlonova street designed in a specific cubist style in 1923. In 1930´s new swimming pool opened in northern section of the town. F. A. Libra, famous progressive architect from Prague, designed the pool. Libra also authored new edifice of bank in the newly founded “náměstí 5. května” Square. Mighty new railway station with art-deco ornaments stands here as well. Next to the bank, functionalist protestant church “Rokycanův sbor” was built. In 1931, new non-confessional cemetery opened above the slopes on the northern outskirts of the town. At the southern outskirts, another army barracks grew in 1933.

In 1938 Czechoslovakia was assaulted by Nazi Germany and its allies. At first the country had to give up its border regions (ca. 300 Czech and Jewish families from annexed Sudetenland fled to Rokycany). In March 1939 Germans occupied the rest of the Czech territory and the Czechs were given a formal autonomy (Protectorate) within the Reich. In September 1939 WWII erupted. In expectation of the war people of Rokycany rushed to spend all their savings, which resulted in a specific construction boom of 1938-40. Dozens of new houses sprang out all around the town. A group of luxurious villas grew in Skolni Street but this externally induced construction fever ended abruptly in 1941 when German authorities ordered cessation of all housing activities. In 1945 Rokycany was liberated by US Army. Unfortunately the Americans had to stop their march right here and they could not liberate Prague too. Thus Prague and most of the Czechoslovak territory was liberated by Soviet army with severe political consequences.

After the WWII Rokycany saw 3 years of shaky democracy, the population shrank as hundreds of citizens left for the border regions from where German minority had been expelled.  The postwar democracy ended with February 1948 communist coup. With the town hall in communist hands, the strategy of town planners changed. Rokycany was no longer designed to be a neat community of garden houses and middle-class life style. It was to become industrial heart of the region again. There was no place for bourgeois values in communist economy. At the height of Cold War Rokycany was to become one huge factory. Thus in 1950´s, all factories in Rokycany expanded, prompting massive immigration of workers. The population surged from 8,000 in 1946 to 12,000 in 1961. The totalitarian regime gave (verbally at least) priority to welfare benefits for workers. One of those benefits was affordable housing. In 1950, “Korea” neighborhood (named after the Korean War) was founded along the Polní, Krokova, Tymákovská and Vysoký Průhon Streets. It consists of 44 uniform houses with private gardens. Major regional industrial companies sponsored the construction of Korea. Each house was afterwards allotted to one worker and his family. However the architectonic concept applied to the neighborhood of Korea, garden suburb for workers, could not saturate the dramatically growing demand for housing. Moreover major iron-ore processing plant in the village of Ejpovice was inaugurated in 1955 and the central government decided that the workers of Ejpovice plant would be settled in Rokycany, a classic example of central planning. The solution was found in form of tenement houses. But this time not as an occasional construction of one such house here or there as it used to be before 1938. This time huge housing projects with hundreds of apartments were built at once. Such new centrally planned neighborhoods came to be known as “sídliště” in Czech. And there are plenty of sídliště in Rokycany. Those built earlier in 1950´s have typical architectonic style of “Stalinist neo-renaissance”, which is often referred to as “socialist realism”. This rather bizarre style did not last very long and in retrospect, the neighborhoods built in that style, have some qualities, at least they are proportionate to the town’s older architecture. In 1960’s new and much more brutal technology for building the communist “sídliště” was introduced, namely concrete prefabricated panels. At the same time government decided to protect more strickly land under cultivation from further development. The result was that the new housing projects had to be placed within built-up areas. The communists did not appreciate old architecture much. Churches were merely monuments of hostile ideology for them and the old patrician houses remnants of outdated bourgeois life-style in the eyes of communists. Moreover some ordinary people considered the new housing projects to be more comfortable and to live in “sídliště” became a sort of symbol of better social status for many working class Czechs. So while new prefabricated panel houses sprawled all around the town, old 18th or 19th century houses fell into disrepair. Dozens of them were later abandoned and consequently pulled down. In 1950 municipal government demolished even the precious baroque Pilsen Gate (Plzeňská brána). In 1960’s six-story tenement houses arose just behind the main square, in the vicinity of old town hall and at the same time huge tracts of old Prague Suburb were destroyed in order to provide areas for new housing. The pace of construction accelerated further in 1970’s. New projects appeared again in Prague suburb or in the southern district where new houses replaced old municipal brickfield. In 1980’s, the concept of radical communist transformation of the town peaked. The masterplan suggested major part of historical core of Rokycany be erased and replaced by new public buildings and another tenement houses. So in 1985 western part of the main square was pulled down and new department store called “Žďár” was built. Similarly into the eastern part of the “Malé náměstí” Square a four-story building of hotel was implanted. The picturesque suburban district between the main church and the “Padrťský potok” was erased and in the last years of the communist regime another set of prefabricated panel houses were built there. The population of the town steadily grew from 12,000 in 1961 to more than 16,000 in 1989. On the other hand, not all construction efforts by communist can be condemned. The town, for example, obtained modern hospital at the town’s northern periphery. New elementary school was built in the southern sector and despite the preference for tenement houses many families built their own houses in that time. The Rašínov district further expanded westwards, new neighborhood of “Osecký vrch” grew in the vicinity of the hospital. And the town was surrounded by large colonies of weekend-houses.

The communist regime fell down in 1989. Rokycany ever since struggle to revive the traditional image of the town, wealthy, calm and neat. The historical core of Rokycany was declared protected zone and most of the remaining older patrician houses, churches or statues were carefully restored. The entrepreneurial activity regenerated with dozens of new shops and restaurants. The transit traffic was redirected to the new motorway D5 north of the town, bringing thus relative calm to the streets of Rokycany. The communist cult of tenement houses is gone and most people dream of their own house with garden. New streets arise where there were fields only years ago, but the population of the town decreased from 16,000 in 1989 to roughly 14,500 as of 2020. It was caused by decision of three village communities to separate from Rokycany and also by the army’s decision to leave the town. Rokycany’s industry did not survive the transition to market economy but this was compensated by new companies settling here, mainly automotive industry.