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Written by John Lifton
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Wednesday, 15 July 2009 09:54 |
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 Slavonice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈslavoɲɪtsɛ]; German: Zlabings) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, about a kilometer from the Austrian border with about 2,700 inhabitants. It was originally a medieval town, and has a traditional medieval city center with Sgraffito covered buildings dating from the 14th to 16th centuries.
Being so close to the Austrian border, Slavonice was heavily affected by the creation of the Iron Curtain during the period of Communism. The nearby hamlet of Maříž was emptied of its inhabitants during the period of Communism in an effort to prevent people from living anywhere near the border with non-Communist Austria.
After the Velvet Revolution and the fall of Communism, Maříž was recolonized by ceramics artists, and Slavonice has once again become a popular destination for Czech tourists and artists. A lot of small galleries have been established as a result of the work of artists and workshops in Slavonice. |
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Last Updated on Sunday, 16 August 2009 17:37 |
