Znak obce Město Úštěk - oficiální stránky města

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Facts of history

Archaeological excavations reveal that the foothills were inhabited as early as in the 10th-13th century. Ancient trading paths lead through here from Litoměřice to Lusatia. The role of Úštěk gained importance only in the 14th century when the village of Úštěk was given the status of a town by the Lords of Michalovice and it acquired municipal rights. The date of the promotion to a town is not documented anywhere, it was probably in the year 1361. From the time of its foundation, the town center is located in the broadest part of the foothills basin, in the place where St. Peter's and Paul's Church was built. In that place, an evangelic church used to stand in the midst of a cemetery and was surrounded by wooden houses.

East part of city square The Lords of Michalovice put Úštěk to pledge in 1387 in connection with a debt due to the Berkas of Dubá who continued in the construction and fortification of the town. The town gates were also constructed--the German Gate to the east and the Bohemian Gate to the west. Around these gates the respective suburbs of the same name grew--the German District and the Bohemian District. At the end of the 14th century, probably under the Lords of Michalovice, a castle construction was started on a foothill to the south of the town which was continued by the Berkas. Nowadays, the castle ruin can be found in the manor-court behind the town hall. The noble family of the Berkas of Dubá possessed Úštěk until they sold the town to the Hussite captain Václav Carda of Petrovice in 1426. At that time the Úštěk possession included the villages of Lukov, Líčenice, Ostré, Zimoř, Trnobrany, Habřina, Srdov, Vysoké, Brusov, Muckov, Levín, Bukovina, Lhota and Chotrčina.

The Carda's Úštěk property formed the northern border of a region controlled by the Hussites resulting in frequent conflicts with the lords of Hazmburk, Vartenberk and Smiřice. When Úštěk was conquered and plundered by Zikmund of Vartenberk and when Václav Carda returned from the captivity resulting from his participation in the battle of Budyně in 1428, the strategic role of the property was finally recognized and the construction of the fortification was resumed. Both gates became fortified and on both sides of the foothills massive towers were erected. This kind of construction of the castle in the middle of the town was unknown and very exceptional in Bohemia at that time. Václav Carda fortified not only the town but he also granted the town the 'right of one mile' and freed its inhabitants of bond-service.

Vief of St. Peter and Paul Church In 1475 the noble family of the Sezimas of Ústí took over the property through marriage. They were entitled to bear the honorary title of 'hereditary waiter to the Czech kings', i. e. they had the right to supervise the cutting of meals at royal feasts. The family soon extended their original name to "the Sezimas of Ústí and Úštěk".

The Sezimas stopped fortification work, they only repaired the damaged German and Czech Gate. Also, sandstone plates with Czech texts were put on the walls of both gates. The text on the eastern German Gate read that the "Lord Jan Sezima of Ústí and of Úštěk had this gate renovated on 5 May 1560". The Czech text conserved until our days on the gate proves that Czech was both in colloquial and official use.

Under the Sezimas both suburbs experienced rapid growth, especially Podolec, the place on the confluence of the Úštěcký and Loubní brooks. The town had two breweries, three ponds and 179 houses with approximately 1 000 inhabitants including the suburbs. Judging from the size of the town it was comparable with that of Mělník and Ústí nad Labem. The Sezimas possessed 46 villages. The defeat of the Czech Orders at the Battle of White Hill in 1620 brought the decline of this noble family. They were in opposition to the Habsburgs and gradually lost their entire possessions including the Úštěk property.

West part of city square The Úštěk property was confiscated in 1622. One part of it fell to the Prague Jesuits, the other was acquired by Colonel Jan Fürst Merode who sold it in 1630 to the Jesuits of Litoměřice. It was since 1675 that the property was under the control of Prague Jesuits. They lived in the castle of Úštěk which they adapted according to their needs. In the middle of the 17th century they move to a new home in Liběšice which became the administrative center of their property. So the castle of Úštěk lost its importance and from that time on it was used only as an administrative building. The Jesuits closed the cemetery around the St. Michael Church and started the construction of a new parsonage in 1722, most probably designed by Octavius Broggio, a Litoměřice architect of Italian origin. The church itself was torn down in 1764 and 13 days after its demolition the St. Peter and St. Paul Church was started. The new church was inaugurated on 8 November 1767.

Under the Jesuits trades developed and guilds were founded. Also, agriculture developed, especially the cultivation of quality hops contributed substantially to the reputation of the town. Vineyards were planted on the slopes of Budina Hill and in the Valley of Tetčiněves. The fire that smote the town in 1765 was really devastating. Most of the houses on the northern side of the market and a large part of the town in the south-east were destroyed. The town center took its current shape during the reconstruction.

The Jesuits ruled in Úštěk until 1773 when their order was dismissed by pope Clement XIV. and the property was confiscated by the state. The dominion was administered by a religious foundation and from 1776 by the officials of the royal study foundation. The limited soccage duties caused that cheap workforce was scarce and the acquired property had to be gradually divided and sold. New settlements were founded on the grounds of the estates. The townsmen of Úštěk bought the castle and its environs in 1779 in order to build a malt-house. The citizens, who were entitled to brew, owned the castle until 1876. The Jesuit manor at the Barvíř pond was bought by Mansvet Leitenberger, and he built a dye house there. Around 1800, his facilities were taken over by J. J. Leitenberger, the most important entrepreneur of Bohemia, who came from Levin. The restaurant "Pod podloubím" (Under the Archway), called "Lord's House" until 1948 was bought by František Linek from Rašovice for 550 guldens in 1788.

A piece of gothic gate Úštěk enjoyed a certain autonomy in economic, judicial and internal affairs which was a great contribution to its successful development. New small enterprises were created in the town. J. J. Leitenberg owned here a chemical production factory, I. Kraus a punch and liqueur production factory and D. Hirsch a whalebone processing and needle production company in the town. There were 173 tradesmen in Úštěk, the town had a town hall, a school, a soccage fort, two parish halls, a firehouse, the Pikart Gate, the German Gate and a hospital. From 1788 there worked two practitioners, and from 1803 the town had an apothecary.

In 1838, Úštěk was bought by Ferdinand the Prince of Lobkovice and Duke of Roudnice. The ownership change had little or no impact on the lives of the town. It was in 1849 that a new administrative order was prepared that affected the municipal autonomy. When Úštěk was to be declared the place of the District Court and Financial Office the townsmen promised to build a new court house on their own account. Eventually, the court house and financial office were built in Úštěk when a new territorial administration came into force in September 1849. The district court worked in Úštěk until 1953. As promised, the townsmen bought the meat bank on the Market Square from the butchers and in August 1851 a new building (today's town hall) was constructed where the district court, financial office and municipal council were working. In August 1850 the first municipal representation was elected.

The new administrative system and the appointment of the town to a court district was very important. The trade with hops gained Úštěk an important position on the home and on the international markets. Especially the Red Hops variety was highly appreciated abroad. The hops growers and tradesmen made their best to distinguish their hops variety from the others. For this purpose, a hops marking site was established and the local hops was sold under the name of "Úštěk Hops". Hops growing and trade and partially also fruit growing influenced the town substantially. A new school was built and in both suburbs a number of new buildings for the processing, storing and packaging of hops appeared. Thanks to the trade in hops the town retained its importance also in the course of the last century.

Panoramic view of Úštěk city Until the end of the Second World War Úštěk was inhabited mainly by Germans. Most of the Czechs fled to the inland territory. Wealthy Jews spent the war abroad, some of them died as victims of the Nazi. In accordance with the corresponding international agreement, the expulsion of German families to Germany began in June 1945. Úštěk was colonized by Czech and Slovak families from all parts of the Czech Republic, later also by the Czechs from Volynia.

After 1948 the agriculture was collectivized and the farmers who refused to enter co-operatives were prosecuted. The next year brought the decrease of population as people moved to bigger towns.

In 1953 the territorial division of the country was reformed and the district courts were abolished. One part of the court district of Úštěk fell to the Česká Lípa administration, the rest to Litoměřice. Úštěk became a meaningless provincial burg. Better times dawned for Úštěk in the 50s when it was envisaged as a holiday resort for the lignite mining companies in Northern Bohemia. The construction of the Chmelař pond was started and many holiday facilities were renovated or built afresh. Later, the cultural community house was built in the place of the manor house and the construction of the road bypass around the town and the Pionýrů housing area were started.

Panoramic view of Úštěk city At the beginning of the 90s the shopping center on the Polské Armády Street was put in operation. The plan to concentrate all business activities under one roof did not fortunately come true after November 1989. The consumer cooperative Jednota went bankrupt and the expected privatization of the building failed several times. The possibility of transforming the building into a sports and holiday center seems promising.

The changes in November 1989 passed without much emotion in Úštěk. It was at the end of the 90s that the complex possibilities and means provided by the state and the communal and private sphere were efficiently utilized and the canalization and a sewage treatment plant, extensive gas distribution system and renovation of a number of listed buildings and monuments were built and implemented. An increasing number of inhabitants are aware of the importance of tourism which is reflected in the improving quality of services in the town.

The last administrative reform associated the town of Úštěk with the Ústí nad Labem Region. The town itself is subject to the authorized city of the 3rd level Litoměřice. As the authorized town of the 2nd level Úštěk governs the communities of Úštěk, Liběšice, Chotiněves, Horní Repčice, Lovečkovice, Levín and their parts. The population of the subject area is 5 000 inhabitants.