According to one theory, the name is derived from Old Czech word židlina, meaning 'swamp'. According the second theory, the name is derived from the old personal Slavic name Židla or Židloch. The German name was derived from the Czech one.[2]
Geography
Židlochovice is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of Brno. It lies in the Dyje–Svratka Valley. The highest point is the hill Výhon at 355 m (1,165 ft) above sea level. The town is situated in the valley of the Svratka River. The Litava River joins the Svratka in the town.
History
The first written mention of Židlochovice is from 1237. Among the owners of the Židlochovice estate were the houses of Pernštejn, Zierotin, Dietrichstein and Habsburg. In 1873, Židlochovice was promoted to a town.[2]
Židlochovice is the terminus of a railway line from Brno.[5]
Sights
Židlochovice Castle
The main landmark of the town is the Židlochovice Castle. It was originally built in the 14th century as a water fortress, then it was gradually rebuilt into an aristocratic residence. The main reconstruction was the Baroque reconstruction that took place during the rule of Count Philipp Ludwig Wenzel von Sinzendorf between 1696 and 1742, who chose Židlochovice as his main seat. Today it is owned by a state company which takes care of the forests, and is not accessible to the public. The castle includes a 22 hectares (54 acres) large castle park, which was founded in the early 18th century and is freely accessible.[6]
A notable building is the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It was building in the Baroque style in the 1720s according to the design by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt.[7]
The town hall is originally a Renaissance house, rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries.[8]
