Bernartice, Czech Republic

Trutnov okres, Hradec Kralove Region

Last modified: 2009-08-15 by jarig bakker
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• Bernartice Coat of Arms

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Bernartice municipality flag

Bernartice is situated 13 km to the north of its district town Trutnov and 6 km to the east of Žacléř on the root of East Krkonoše (Giant Mountains) and Vraní hory in the slade of the rivulet Ličná, Dlouhá Voda and Luční potok in the altitude of c. 490 m. To municipality, there belongs also the colonies Křenov, Vrchová, Rybníčky and Bečkov.

The first mention about countryside is in the writing of chronicler, who went with military expedition of Polish king Boleslav Wry-mouthed, when he moved across our territory for succour to Czech prince Bořivoj in December 1110. The first written mention about our municipality is from the year 1297. But we can infer that our municipality existed also before. In old municipal seal is assignation 1008. In parish chronicle is introduced that foundation of Bernartice was permited by sixteenth Czech prince Oldřich. It's a mistake of this chronicle - Oldřich was the thirteenth prince, he reigned between 1012 and 1033. In 1008 reigned his brother Jaromír, who was assasinated by Oldřich. The first settlers were Slavonians, Serbians, by which the Chzech king Přemysl Otakar II colonised our region about the year 1217. The name of municipality Bernartice is reputedly after builder Bernhardt from Bernsdorf. However various suspicions in local names ex. cave Bear lair and the bear at the symbol of the municipality prompts that the name Bernartice - Bernsdorf has maybe base in the word "bear" - in German Bär with later orthographic mutation. According to notation of monasterial chronicle in Kreszow, 31st abbot Kašpar Albert sold (he was an abbot between 1578 and 1611) villages Bernartice, Královec, Lampertice a Bečkov for 13000 florins to Lord of Žacléř. In those days, the municipality of Bernartice have allready had a bear in its sign, two pines and black birds, including still mentioned assignation of the yaer 1008. Inhabitans worked as agriculteurs, they bred stock, partially they were traders and craftmen. Later, they became weavers and mainly miners in coal mines in Lampertice and Žacléř.

The moist, loamy-sandy soil, base is a porphyry and a rough sandstone. The climate is inclement, there often blow cold winds from Silesia (Poland). Bernartice were Lutheran and view point of the municipality byly před r. 1571 was only a church made of wood, before 1571. In March 1677, there were began the construction of the church made of stone. It was finished one year later. Big bells on the church's tower are from years 1660 and 1689. To the year 1786, he church and also the school were auxiliary either to the church in Zlatá Olešnice and later to the church in Žacléř. In 1786, the church was promoted on parish church by the caesar Josef II and simultaneously were established also the school on the parish school. The building of the school were small and in the badness, was built a new one made of stone in the year 1799. And in the year 1857, there were decided to establish a day-long school teaching. To centenary anniversary, there were built a statue of the caesar Josef II on the village square on 2 May 1886. But the statue didn't rest. Around the year 1840, there were 84 cottiers, 34 farmers, 33 dirt farmers and a few of craftsmen in the municipality. Since 1830, there had been already located 8 financials. In 1839, the municipality had 1004 of inhabitants. 462 of them were men, 542 were women. Owners of Bernartice were often chnging. Except the town Trutnov, Jesuits in Žacléř, abbot of the Křešov's monastery (today in Poland) was also the owner. In 1864, there were the beginning of the construction of the weaver of the flax. It was lead by Franz Fiedler for 8 years. In 1872, the firm Osterreicher and sons bought it for 6000 florins and 1886, the factory was extended with the spinning-factory and cereal sacks were made here. In these times, the factory had 230 employees. In 1938, the number of employees reputedly went up to 500. Today bulk cargo plastic bags are being made in this factory. The interesting thing of the municipality was also (today defunct) fishing industry. The first factory was Berko (from the year 1912), owners were Střihavka and Grossmann. The factory joined with another Bernartice's factory Toryk after the year 1942. It employed about 150 employees. After 1948, "meritorious partyliners" Benedĕla and Veselý took a leading of the "nationalized" factory. They renamed it Rybena and they ruined the duty much that the factory was abolished. National estates assumed buildings and finished the wreck. Also the municipality was developing quickly. And in these years (about 1912) have already had 2027 inhabitants and 230 houses.
Source: municipal homepage.
Jarig Bakker, 7 May 2008

Bernartice Coat of Arms