Mladá Boleslav

Mladá Boleslav (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmladaː ˈbolɛslaf]; German: Jungbunzlau; both meaning "New (or literally Young) Boleslav") is a statutory city in the north of the Czech Republic, on the left bank of the Jizera river about 50 kilometres (31 miles) northeast of Prague. It is the second biggest city in the Central Bohemian Region and a major centre of the Czech automotive industry (Škoda Auto). The city name abbreviation MB became eponymous for colloquial naming of Škoda cars (especially in the communist era) as "embé(čko)".

Mladá Boleslav
Statutory City
City hall in Mladá Boleslav
Flag
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
City of cars
Mladá Boleslav
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°24′45″N 14°54′16″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionCentral Bohemian
DistrictMladá Boleslav
Founded10th century
Government
 • MayorRaduan Nwelati (ODS)
Area
 • Total28.89 km2 (11.15 sq mi)
Elevation
235 m (771 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total44,470
 • Density1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
293 01
Websitewww.mb-net.cz

History
Castle in Mladá Boleslav

Founded in the second half of the 10th century by King Boleslav II as a royal castle. Because there already was a castle known as Boleslav near Prague, this new castle was named Mladá (young) to distinguish it from the older Boleslav, which became known in the 15th century as Stará Boleslav (Old Boleslav). The town received partial city rights in 1334 and 1436, becoming an important site on the road from Prague to northern Bohemia, Lusatia, and Brandenburg. In the 16th century the city was a leading centre of the Unitas Fratrum / Unity of the Brethren / Moravian Church, hosting the Brethren's bishop, Renaissance church, and printing house. After being re-catholicized in the 17th century, the city's population declined.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Mladá Boleslav (called Bumsla by Jews) was an important Jewish center.[2] In the 19th century (in fact, the period of decline of the Jewish community), Mladá Boleslav was dubbed "Jerusalem on Jizera". In 1634, Jacob Bassevi von Treuenberg (born 1580 in Verona, Italy), the first ennobled Jew in the Habsburg monarchy, was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Mladá Boleslav.

In the 19th century new prosperity came: the city became an important regional centre as new schools, theatres, museums, and the Laurin & Klement (today Škoda) automobile factory were founded. Since the 1990s the factory has made it one of the richest and most prosperous Czech cities.

Sights
  • Templ Municipal History Museum – new holographic exhibition in gothic town-palace
  • Škoda Museum – Car museum
  • Škoda Manufacturing Plant – Car manufacturing and assembly plant
  • Brethren renaissance cathedral – public open gallery
  • Regional Museum – Historical, cultural and social history collections

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Mladá Boleslav is twinned with:[3]

Sport

The local football team FK Mladá Boleslav has played in the top national division since 2004. They were runners-up in 2005–06, have been Czech Cup winners twice (2011 and 2016) and have qualified for the UEFA Cup and Europa League nine times, beating such opponents as Olympique de Marseille 4–3 on aggregate in 2006 and US Citta di Palermo 2–1 on aggregate in 2007. The local ice hockey team BK Mladá Boleslav, was relegated in 2012 from the Extraliga, but quickly returned in 2014. The town also has one of the Czech Republic's top floorball teams, national champions 2017–18.

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  2. Spector, Shmuel; Wigoder, Geoffrey (2001). "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust: K-Sered". NYU Press. p. 832. ISBN 9780814793770.
  3. "Partnerská města: Mladá Boleslav" (in Czech). Statutární město Mladá Boleslav. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
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