View source for Břeclav

{{distinguish|text=[[Bratslav]], [[Braslaw]], [[Bratislava]] or [[Wrocław]]}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Břeclav
| other_name              =
| settlement_type         = [[Obec|Town]]
<!-- images -->
| image_skyline           = Břeclav (Lundenburg) castle.JPG
| image_caption           = Břeclav Castle
| image_flag              = Flag of Breclav.svg
| image_shield            = Břeclav_znak.png
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{CZE}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of the Czech Republic|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[South Moravian Region|South Moravian]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Districts of the Czech Republic|District]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Břeclav District|Břeclav]]
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map               =
| map_caption             =
| pushpin_map             = Czech Republic
| pushpin_relief          = 1
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location in the Czech Republic
| coordinates             = {{coord|48|45|32|N|16|52|55|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   =
<!-- government type, leaders -->
| leader_title            = Mayor
| leader_name             = Svatopluk Pěček
| leader_party            = {{polparty|Czech Republic|ANO}}
<!-- established -->
| established_title       = First mentioned
| established_date        = 1056
<!-- area -->
| area_footnotes          =
| area_total_km2          = 77.19
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes     =
| elevation_m             = 158
<!-- population -->
| population_as_of        = 2024-01-01
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{cite web |title=Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024|url=https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/population-of-municipalities-qexb0dqr2d|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|date=2024-05-17}}</ref>
| population_total        = 24863
| population_density_km2  = auto
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type        = Postal code
| postal_code             = 690 02
| area_code_type          =
| area_code               =
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website                 = {{URL|https://www.breclav.eu/}}
| footnotes               =
}}
'''Břeclav''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈbr̝ɛtslaf}}; {{langx|de|Lundenburg}}) is a town in the [[South Moravian Region]] of the [[Czech Republic]]. It has about 25,000 inhabitants.
==Administrative parts==
The town parts of Charvátská Nová Ves and [[Poštorná]] are administrative parts of Břeclav.
==Etymology==
{{stack|[[File:Břeclav, Dyje.JPG|thumb|Thaya River in the town centre]]}}
The town's name is derived from the Czech name of the founder of the local castle, Duke [[Bretislav I]]. The former German name was probably derived from the name of a [[Slavs|Slavic]] tribe which lived in the area.<ref name=hist1>{{cite web |title=Z historie Břeclavi|url=https://www.muzeumbv.cz/z-historie-breclavi|publisher=Městské muzeum a galerie Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
==Geography==
Břeclav is located about {{convert|50|km}} southeast of [[Brno]], at the border with Austria. It borders the Austrian town [[Bernhardsthal]]. Břeclav lies about {{convert|10|km|0|abbr=on}} northwest of the Slovak border at [[Kúty]] and about {{convert|65|km|abbr=on}} north of the Austrian capital [[Vienna]].
Břeclav lies in the [[Lower Morava Valley]] lowland in the warmest part of the country. The [[Thaya]] River flows through the town. There is wild thick [[riparian forest]] composed of deciduous trees in the southern part of the municipal territory.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lužní lesy|url=https://breclav.eu/kultura/cestovni-ruch/luzni-lesy-2|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
==History==
===6th–10th centuries===
[[File:Areal muzea v prirode pohansko.jpg|thumb|Archaeological site of Pohansko]]
The area was settled by first Slavic tribes already in the 6th century. In the late 8th century, a large Slavic [[Gord (archaeology)|gord]], today called ''Pohansko'' (meaning "a paganish place"), was established southeast of the today's town. In the 9th century, it became a significant centre of [[Great Moravia]]. An agricultural settlement probably existed in the area of Old Břeclav, and the gord served as a hiding place for its inhabitants. In the 10th century it was abandoned.<ref name=hist2>{{cite web |title=Historie a současnost|url=https://breclav.eu/historie-a-soucasnost|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
===11th–15th centuries===
After 1041, a border castle was established here by Duke [[Bretislav I]]. The first written mention of Břeclav is from 1046, when it was referred by its Latin name ''Bretyzlawe''. In the second half of the 13th century, the castle was rebuilt to a massive Romanesque fortress. The castle often changed owners. At the beginning of the 15th century, it was acquired by the [[House of Liechtenstein]].<ref name=hist1/><ref name=hist2/>
During the [[Hussite Wars]] the castle became a military base of the [[Hussites]] and the nearby settlement was looted. The inhabitants had to flee and founded a new market town below the castle on the other side of the Thaya river, called Nová Břeclav ("New Břeclav"). The original spot has been called Stará Břeclav ("Old Břeclav") since that time.<ref name=hist2/>
===16th–19th centuries===
[[File:Břeclav synagoga 1.jpg|thumb|The former synagogue]]
In 1534, the Břeclav estate was acquired by the [[Zierotin]]s. The family rebuilt the castle to a [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] residence, which also retained its military function. In the 16th century, the prosperity with flourishing agriculture, crafts and science occurred. The development ended with the [[Thirty Years' War]]. After the [[Battle of White Mountain]], the Břeclav estate was confiscated to Zierotins. In 1638, the Liechtensteins bought the devastated estate.<ref name=hist1/>
Břeclav's Jewish community was first documented in the 16th century, although some individual [[Jews]] may have arrived earlier, in the 14th or early 15th centuries. The Jewish population became extinct during the [[Thirty Years' War]]. New Jewish settlers came in 1650.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historie židovské obce|url=https://breclav.eu/kultura/cestovni-ruch/historie-zidovske-obce-2|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
The post-war recovery was slow. In 1742, Břeclav was destroyed by a large fire. Until the 1830s, both Břeclav and Old Břeclav were insignificant agricultural small [[Městys|market towns]] and together had about 3,000 inhabitants. In 1836–1839, the railway from Brno to Vienna was built and the economic development started. Lumber and food factories were established, and the population began to grow. In 1872, Břeclav was promoted to a town.<ref name=hist1/>
===Modern history===
In 1919, three original municipalities merged (Břeclav, Old Břeclav and Jewish Municipality of Břeclav). From 1938 to 1945, Břeclav was a part of [[Nazi Germany]], although most the town's population spoke [[Czech language|Czech]]. The Jewish community disappeared as a result of [[the Holocaust]]. The German population was [[Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia|expelled]] after [[World War II]]. In 1974, Poštorná and Charvátská Nová Ves, which had been parts of [[Lower Austria]] until the 1919 [[Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919)|Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye]], were joined.
The northern edge of Břeclav was heavily damaged by the [[2021 South Moravia tornado]].
==Demographics==
{{historical populations
|align=none|cols=3
|1869|6683
|1880|9712
|1890|12014
|1900|13794
|1910|16745
|1921|18163
|1930|19454
|1950|15808
|1961|17185
|1970|18870
|1980|22671
|1991|24979
|2001|25485
|2011|24737
|2021|24318
|source=Censuses<ref>{{cite web |title=Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/historicky-lexikon-obci-1869-az-2015|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|language=cs|date=2015-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Population Census 2021: Population by sex|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4429&katalog=33515&pvo=SLD21001-OB-OK|work=Public Database|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|date=2021-03-27}}</ref>}}
==Transport==
The [[D2 motorway (Czech Republic)|D2 motorway]], linking Brno with the Czech-Slovak border and further with Bratislava, passes through the northern part of the town.
[[Břeclav railway station]] is an important hub in the railway network. It is located at the intersection of the routes to and from Brno – [[Prague]], [[Ostrava]] – [[Kraków]]/[[Katowice]] (Poland), [[Kúty]] – [[Bratislava]] (Slovakia) and [[Hohenau an der March]] – [[Vienna]] (Austria). In addition, a local railway to [[Znojmo]] also branches out from the station. There is a rail border crossing Břeclav/Bernhardsthal to Austria.<ref>{{cite web |title=Detail stanice Břeclav|url=https://www.cd.cz/stanice/breclav/5433425|publisher=[[České dráhy]]|language=cs|access-date=2024-05-17}}</ref>
==Sport==
Břeclav was known for the professional football club [[SK Tatran Poštorná]]. In 1995–2000, it played in the [[Czech National Football League]]. In 2012, it was dissolved. Today the town is home to the club MSK Břeclav, playing in lower amateur tiers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Neduchal|first=Kryštof|title=Historie fotbalu v Břeclavi: Éra Poštorné, pohár se Spartou i slavní odchovanci|url=https://breclavsky.denik.cz/fotbal-divize/tatran-postorna-zanik-msk-breclav-slovan-breclav-alexandr-hrabal.html|publisher=Deník.cz|language=cs|date=2023-12-06|access-date=2024-05-17}}</ref>
A [[motorcycle speedway]] track existed in front of Břeclav Castle. It was constructed in the mid-1960s, but the racing ended due to a ban in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |title=Abeceda ploché dráhy – písmeno "B"|url=https://www.speedwayfakta.cz/2008/08/abeceda-ploche-drahy-pismeno-b/|website=speedwayfakta.cz|language=cs|access-date=2024-03-30}}</ref>
==Sights==
[[File:Břeclav_kostel_sv._Václava_3.jpg|thumb|Church of Saint Wenceslaus]]
[[File:Pohansko (1).jpg |thumb|Pohansko Castle]]
The Břeclav Castle was rebuilt into its current neo-Gothic [[artificial ruins]] form in the first half of the 19th century. It was rebuilt by the Liechtensteins during the establishment of [[Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape]]. Today it is owned by the town. One of its towers serves as an observation tower.<ref name=sights>{{cite web |title=Zajímavosti Břeclavi|url=https://breclav.eu/kultura/cestovni-ruch/zajimavosti-breclavi|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
The parish Church of Saint Wenceslaus on the T. G. Masaryka Square is a contemporary architecture from 1992 to 1995 on the spot of a Baroque one destroyed in World War II. The second parish church is the Church of the Visitation of Our Lady in [[Poštorná]]. it is a unique neo-Gothic structure with a [[cupola]] built in 1895–1898 with use of special bricks from local factory.<ref name=sights/>
The old small synagogue from 1697 was replaced by a larger building in 1868. In 1888, it was renovated in the [[neo-Romanesque]] style and with [[Moorish Revival]] elements inside. Nowadays it houses a part of the town museum. The Jewish cemetery was founded in the 17th century. The oldest from the 300 preserved tombstones is from the 18th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Židovská Břeclav|url=https://breclav.eu/kultura/cestovni-ruch/zidovska-breclav-1|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref> The former Jewish school (today called Liechtenstein's House) in the middle of the former Jewish ghetto serves as a main building of the town's museum and gallery.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lichtenštejnský dům|url=https://www.muzeumbv.cz/lichtenstejnsky-dum/|publisher=Městské muzeum a galerie Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
The western and southern rural part of Břeclav lies in the [[Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape]], which has been a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] since 1996. One of its main features, located in Břeclav's territory, is the Apollo Temple. It was built by design of [[Joseph Kornhäusel]] in 1817–1819.<ref name=sights/>
Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape also includes Pohansko, an archaeological site in the middle of the riparian forests from Great-Moravian times. The archaeological findings are presented in the Pohansko Castle. This small hunting castle was built here by the Liechtensteins in the [[Empire style]] in 1810–1812.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pohansko|url=https://breclav.eu/kultura/cestovni-ruch/pohansko|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref> In the Pohansko area is also the small Light Fortification Museum in a renovated bunker.<ref name=sights/>
==Notable people==
*[[Julius Lieban]] (1857–1940), Austro-German operatic tenor
*[[Rudolf Carl]] (1899–1987), Austrian actor
*[[Zdeňka Pokorná]] (1905–2007), resistance fighter
*[[František Kobzík]] (1914–1944), rower and soldier
*[[Jan Švéda]] (1931–2007), rower, Olympic medalist
*[[Václav Pavkovič]] (1936–2019), rower, Olympic medalist
*[[Friedrich Kratochwil]] (born 1944), German political scientist and professor
*[[Ivan Kučírek]] (1946–2022), cyclist
==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic}}
Břeclav is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=twins>{{cite web |title=Partnerská města|url=https://breclav.eu/partnerska-mesta-1|publisher=Město Břeclav|language=cs|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gmina Andrychów|Andrychów]], Poland
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Brezová pod Bradlom]], Slovakia
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Lysá nad Labem]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Nový Bor]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Priverno]], Italy
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Trnava]], Slovakia
<!-- Šentjernej, Zwentendorf - not twinning-->
{{div col end}}
Břeclav also cooperates with [[Municipality of Šentjernej|Šentjernej]] in Slovenia and with [[Zwentendorf]] in Austria.<ref name=twins/>
==Gallery==
<gallery>
2007-05 Břeclav 13.jpg|Main post office
Břeclav, Church in Poštorná.JPG|Church of the Visitation of Our Lady in Poštorná
2007-05 Břeclav 18.jpg|Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius
2007-05 Břeclav 06.jpg|Chapel of Saint Rochus
Apollonův chrám (Apollo-Tempel) by Pudelek.JPG|Apollo Temple
</gallery>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons}}
*{{official|https://www.breclav.eu/}}
*[https://www.dobreclavi.cz/ Official tourist portal]
{{Břeclav District}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breclav}}
[[Category:Populated places in Břeclav District]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Moravian Slovakia]]
[[Category:Austria–Czech Republic border crossings]]