Slavkov u Brna

Slavkov u Brna

Austerlitz (in German)
Slavkov u Brna Austerlitz (in German)
Town
	Aerial view
	Flag Coat of arms
	Slavkov u Brna Location in the Czech Republic
	Coordinates: 49°9′12″N 16°52′35″E / 49.15333°N 16.87639°E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	South Moravian
District	Vyškov
First mentioned	1237
Government
• Mayor	Michal Boudný
Area
• Total	14.95 km2 (5.77 sq mi)
Elevation	211 m (692 ft)
Population (2021-01-01)
• Total	7,045
• Density	470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	684 01
Website	www.slavkov.cz

Slavkov u Brna (Czech pronunciation: [ˈslafkof ˈu br̩na]; historically known in German as Austerlitz, [ˈaʊ̯stɐlɪt͡s]) is a town in Vyškov District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,000 inhabitants. The town gave its name to the Battle of Austerlitz which took place several kilometres to the west of the town.

History

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At the beginning of the 13th century, the Teutonic Order built a monastery stronghold whose remains can still be seen today in the vaults of the Austerlitz Palace. The first written testimony about the place date from 1237. The Czech name Slavkov is first documented in 1361, the German name Austerlitz in 1633. After the defeat of the Order in the Battle of Grunwald, the town became the property of a number of noble owners until, in 1509, the local noble family of Kaunitz assumed control for more than 400 years.

Sights

Baroque Slavkov Castle has 115 rooms and an impressive garden in the French style. The Palace was designed by Italian architect Domenico Martinelli. In its historic salon, an armistice was signed between Austria and France after the battle of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805. There is a small historic museum (only in Czech) and a multimedia presentation about the battle.
On the main square is a late Renaissance town hall and mansion. Parts of the old town wall can also be seen.
Church of the Resurrection of the Lord (on the south side of the main square). The classicist building with three pulpits was designed from 1786–1789 by the Viennese architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg.
Church of St. John the Baptist (in the cemetery). Beneath the church is a vault which contains the tombs of the Kaunitz family.
Chapel of St. Urbanus (to the north on the Urbanus hill). The chapel of 1712 was badly damaged during the battle of Austerlitz and had to be rebuilt during 1858–1861.
Jewish Heritage. Only the synagogue (built in 1858) remains from the Jewish ghetto. There is also a Jewish cemetery a little bit outside the town. "Austerlitz" is a Jewish family name, of which the bearers are nowadays spread worldwide but which indicate and ultimate family origin in the town – see Austerlitz (family). The dancer Fred Astaire was born Fred Austerlitz, and thus it could be assumed that his ancestors lived in this town.

Trivia

Much in the same way that in London, the English have named Waterloo Station to commemorate their victory at Waterloo, the French gave the name of Austerlitz to one of the major Parisian train stations, the Gare d'Austerlitz. There is also a Quai d'Austerlitz in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. In the Netherlands, a village named Austerlitz was founded in commemoration of the battle, as was a small town of Austerlitz, New York.