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Jilemnice
Jilemnice
Town
	Masarykovo Square, historic centre
	Flag Coat of arms
	Jilemnice Location in the Czech Republic
	Coordinates: 50°36′34″N 15°30′23″E / 50.60944°N 15.50639°E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Liberec
District	Semily
First mentioned	1350
Government
• Mayor	David Hlaváč
Area
• Total	13.86 km2 (5.35 sq mi)
Elevation	451 m (1,480 ft)
Population (2024-01-01)
• Total	5,443
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	514 01
Website	www.mestojilemnice.cz

Jilemnice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjɪlɛmɲɪtsɛ]; German: Starkenbach) is a town in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

The villages of Hrabačov and Javorek are administrative parts of Jilemnice.

Etymology

The name was derived from the word jilm ('elm') and from the adjective jilemná, related to some water course (meaning "water flowing between elms").^[2]

Geography

Jilemnice is located about 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Semily and 34 km (21 mi) southeast of Liberec. It lies in a hilly landscape of the Giant Mountains Foothills. The highest points are the slopes of the Chmelnice hill at 592 m (1,942 ft) above sea level, and the peak of Bubeníkovy vrchy at 588 m (1,929 ft).

The Jizerka River flows through the northern part of the municipal territory. The Jilemka Stream flows through the town into the Jizerka.

History

The first written mention of Jilemnice is from 1350.^[3] Jilemnice was founded probably in the 1320s as an economic centre of an extensive Štěpanice estate owned by the Waldstein family. The regular ground plan of the historic centre indicates that the town was probably founded on a green field. Because of its secluded location, the town developed in a slower pace than other towns in fertile inland. However, Jilemnice's isolation protected the town against serious war damage for years.^[4] The town development was even more restricted from 1492, when the Waldstein family divided the estate into two parts.^[5]

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the main economic activities were ore mining and linen production. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was burned down by the Swedish army and after the war, the town failed to follow up on the previous sources of livelihood.^[4]

In 1701, both parts of the estate were acquired and merged by the Harrach noble family. Since then, Jilemnice began to prosper again. Harrachs' progressive economic policy led to raising of local linen industry to the world level. During the first half of the 19th century, the linen industry gradually declined. In 1873, the Textile Industrial School was founded.^[4]

Jilemnice continued to develop in the interwar period and became a tourist resort, but the war had a negative impact on the economy and tourism. After the war, the town's economy shifted to the engineering and food industries.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	4,481	—
1880	4,225	−5.7%
1890	4,118	−2.5%
1900	4,353	+5.7%
1910	4,669	+7.3%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	4,452	−4.6%
1930	4,538	+1.9%
1950	3,991	−12.1%
1961	3,885	−2.7%
1970	4,380	+12.7%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	5,297	+20.9%
1991	5,829	+10.0%
2001	5,753	−1.3%
2011	5,637	−2.0%
2021	5,247	−6.9%

Source: Censuses^[6]^[7]

Economy

The largest industrial employer based in the town is the Czech branch of the Devro company, a manufacturer of plastic casings for food products. From the service sector, the most important employer is the local hospital.^[8]

Transport

The I/14 road from Liberec to Trutnov passes through the town.

Jilemnice is located on the railway line Jablonec nad Jizerou–Martinice v Krkonoších.^[9]

Sights

The main landmark of the town is Jilemnice Castle. It is a Renaissance building from the 16th century, built on the site of a former fortress. Between 1714 and 1895, it was gradually rebuilt into its present form. Today it houses the Giant Mountains Museum.^[10]

The Church of Saint Lawrence is one of the most valuable buildings in Jilemnice. The church was built in the Baroque style in 1729–1735.^[11]