Plzen is a city in the Czech Republic in western Bohemia, the capital of Plzen Region. Population: 170,000. It lies about 90 km by highway southwest of Prague at the confluence of Radbuza, Mže, Úslava and Úhlava rivers, creating Berounka. Plzen is famous for its Pilsener beer, named Pilsner Urquell after Pilsen (the German name for Plzen) and for the
Škoda Works , established by Emil Škoda in 1859.
The most prominent monuments are the Gothic church of St. Bartholomew, said to date from 1292, whose tower (325 ft.) is the highest in the Czech Republic, and the Renaissance town hall dating from the 16th century.
Plzen first appears in history in 976Events January 10 Basil II becomes Eastern Roman Emperor, see Byzantine Emperors. Brian Boru inaugurated as King of Munster. Samuil of Bulgaria starts reign as Tsar Yuelu Academy is founded Leopold of Babenberg was appointed as Margrave of Austria. The Ba, as the scene of a battle in the war between Prince Boleslaus IIBoleslav II the Pious (died February 7 999) was the son of Boleslav I the Cruel. Boleslav II became Duke (or prince) of Bohemia in 972. Boleslav maintained good relations with the German Kingdom, and in 975 supported Otto II in his civil war against Henry and the emperor Otto II, and it became a town in 1295Events Mongol leader Ghazan Khan is converted to Islam, ending a line of Tantric Buddhist leaders. Philip IV of France and Pope Boniface VIII begin having disagreements. Jayavarman VIII of the Khmer Empire in Cambodia abdicates. Marco Polo returns to Ital, established by Wenceslaus II. During the Hussite WarsThe Hussite Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1420 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were arguably the first European war in which hand-held gunpowder weapons such as muskets made a deci it was the centre of CatholicGeneral meaning Catholic means universal or whole''. With respect to the Christian Church, the early Christians used the term to refer to the whole undivided church. It is in that sense that all Christians today claim ownership of the term, including Prot resistance to the Hussites; it was three times unsuccessfully besieged by Prokop the Great, and it took part in the league of the Romanist lords against King George of Podebrady. The first Czech printing press was established here in 1468. During the Thirty Years' War the town was taken by Mansfeld in 1618 and not recaptured by the Imperialists till 1621. Wallenstein made it his winter-quarters in 1633. The town was unsuccessfully besieged by the Swedes in 1637 and 1648.
At the end of the Second World War, on May 5, 1945, Plzen (and Western Bohemia) was liberated from Nazis by General Patton, unlike the rest of Czechoslovakia that was freed by the Red Army.
Many famous people were born in, or are associated with, Plzen. Composer Bedrich Smetana studied here in the 1840s, for example. The poet Miroslav Holub was a native. Singer Karel Gott was born in this town, too. The inventor Frantisek Krizik lived here and introduced his electric arch lamps to the streets of Pilsen. Also, Josef Skupa (1892-1957), the author of the famous puppets of Spejbl (1919) and Hurvinek (1926) was a native, much like Jiri Trnka (1912-1969).
There is a neighborhood called Pilsen in Chicago. It was once inhabited by Czechs, but is Mexican today.
