German name: Rudelsdorf Population: 1476 Number of houses: 249 Area: 2459 ha Geographical location: 49o53' N / 16o33´ E Altitude: 363 m n.m. Telephone: 465 323 124 Address: OÚ 561 25 Rudoltice 95 E-mail:
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Website:www.rudoltice.cz The originally German village is situated 3 km in west of the town of Lanškroun. The population is 965. There are St. Peter and Paul’s Church in the Empire style (1804-1809) and rectory (1794). A railway station is connected by a regional line with the town of Lanškroun. In 2000, 71 houses were built. The construction of around 800 flats near to the locality Zámeček is being prepared (in cooperation with the town of Lanškroun).
Detailed information (adapted from the source "Vlastivěda Lanškrounska"): The municipality of Rudoltice is spread along the brook Rudoltička and it is situated 3 km in south east of the town of Lanškroun. The first reference to the village (Rudolfsdorf) can be found in the deed issued by the king Václav II in 1304 by which the king donated the Lanškroun region to the Zbraslav monastery. The name of the village corresponds to the colonisation usage – it is derived from the name of the village locator, i.e. founder. The deed confirming foundation of Litomyšl bishopric and forming its deanery (1349) refers to the parish village of Rudoltice. In 1358 the Zbraslav monastery exchanged the Lanškroun and Lanšperk regions for the more suitable properties near to Prague owned by the Litomyšl bishop. The village of Rudoltice became part of the bishopric property. After the Hussite wars, the Litomyšl bishopric was dissolved and its property, including the village of Rudoltice) was seized by the aristocracy. Since mid-15th century, the history of the village of Rudoltice was identical to the history of other villages in Lanškroun domain until the end of feudalism. The first reference to the reeve’s office in the village of Rudoltice dates back to the period shortly after the integration of the village to the bishopric property. In 1364 the bishop Jan ze Středy sold the reeve’s office to Nikl (Nicholas), the son of the former reeve in the village of Ostrov. The bishop became owner of the reeve’s office because the last local reeve Petr Arner died without heirs. The new reeve Nicholas was entitled to keep one third of the fines that he imposed. He also owned two independent mills (i.e. not belonging either to king or church), including grounds called Pustina (Wasteland), an independent hind of grounds and other arable lands, 27 rods of grounds in total. The reeve had to pay royal taxes in usual amount. However, the reeve was not always a dignified representative of the suzerain who sometimes had to intervene. The record made in 1541 describes reeve’s manners: "the reeve dwells mainly in the town of Lanškroun, there he always drinks, having no regard to his office, as he should, and when he comes home drunken, he beats his wife". In the same year, this behaviour was punished upon order of the suzerain’s clerk. The reeve was incarcerated in a “coat”, i.e. a very strait and incommodious cell in the Lanškroun castle. The reeve was released upon solicitation of "good people" and payment of 20 three-scores of groschens. At the end of the 16th century, the owner of the domain Adam Hrzán z Harasova was building ponds (at those times very profitable business) regardless the needs of local inhabitants who joined other villages in the dispute with the owner. The armed inhabitants of the Lanškroun region did not hesitate to attack the owner, his clerks or the Lanškroun castle. The lengthy dispute was ended in 1620 – Zdeslav, the oldest son of Adam Hrzán z Harasova settled the dispute after his father’s death. Two years later, he sold the Lanškroun domain to the emperor’s vice regent Karel z Lichtenštejna who begun the Counter Reformation in the domain. The last reference to the local non-catholic churchman is from 1627. Jakub Arnold, former priest of the village of Rudoltice, and his wife Salomena, daughter of Adam Postler from today town of Bystrzyca Kłodzka, today in Poland, had a deed confirming the decent origin of their son Christiana. After the Bílá hora (White Mountain) battle the local rectory was abandoned and it was re-established in 1766. The first reference to the local school education dates back second half of the 17th century. The oldest reference to the school building dates back to 1683. A hundred years later, there was a parish one-classroom school that was moved to the house no. 97 in 1766. The construction of the current school building (house no. 200) begun in 1831 and finished in 1837. With regards to the increasing number of pupils, an additional building was constructed fifty years later. The last renovation works were carried out in 1995. At the end of the 17th century, the fierce character of the teacher Urban Rotter caused several problems: in 1685 the teacher was appointed as the syndic – although he had worked as syndic before, in the year of his appointment the reeve and aldermen criticised lack of confidentiality and diligence. They menaced to annul his appointment to school and church service in case of disobedience. However, these services were not well-paid (in 1687 the teacher asked the Lanškroun town council for the privilege to collect the road-toll. The teacher Urban Rotter got also involved to a fight with several local farmers during the annual carol in 1702 and 1703. There were huge tensions between the teacher and local inhabitants because of the teacher’s salary in 1847 and 1848 – the army was sent to the village because the inhabitants refused to pay obligatory contributions. A milestone in the history of the village was the construction of the Prague – Olomouc railway line. The local railway stop became more important in 1885 – the village was connected by a regional line with the town of Lanškroun. In early 1930’s was added second track and the current building of the Rudoltice railway station. The population of the village of Rudoltice had been German until the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic – a small minority (mostly, employees of the Czechoslovak Railway Company) who managed to establish a school for Czech children. The post-war expulsion of Germans and repopulation of the village by the persons coming from upcountry marked the beginning of the modern history of village. In 1949 the local united agricultural co-operative was founded, in 1970’s was carried out reconstruction of roads, buildings of school, nursery school, crèche, fire brigade and turn-table near to the railway station. The street lightning was constructed. In late 1980’s the construction of the local water supply was started (finished in 1992). Since late 1990’s the municipality have been trying to enlarge the housing stock. After six housing units had been successfully finished, the municipality government body started to carry out the construction of more than three hundreds flats in the Zámeček area (the construction shall be finished in 2009). The list of historical monuments in the village of Rudoltice includes the St. Peter and Paul’s Church that was originally – according to the reference from 1677 – wooden. At the end of 18th century its building was run-down. Therefore it was pulled down and replaced by the current building between 1804 and 1807. The tower was added between 1808 and 1809. Further, there are smaller objects, such as the stone cross with relief of the St. Mary Magdalen (1741) in front of the church and the statue of St. John of Nepomuk (1737) near to the road in the village. There is a stone cross (1769) near to the road in direction to the town of Lanškroun and a classicalism sculpture of Holy Trinity (1807) near to the road to the municipality of Ostroh. A typical example of the countryside farm is the house no. 5 dated back to the first third of the 19th century. A dominant feature of the village of Rudoltice is so-called Nový zámek (New Castle) situated on the hill Zámecký vrch (Castle Hill). A former owner of the Lanškroun domain Jan Adam Ondřej z Lichtenštejna had the castle built between 1700 and 1712 according to plans of Domenico Martinelli by the architect Antonio Salla. In 1714 the castle burn out and a large part was demolished in 1780. A part of the left wing has been preserved. The associations in the village have been represented by the brigade of voluntary firemen (since 1872), the agricultural association (since 1887) and the education association (founded six years earlier). In late 19th century a Theatre association (1891) was founded in the village of Rudoltice (it was re-established in 1927) and in 1898 was founded a savings and credit association. After 1989 the gymnastic club Sokol and the association of huntsmen were re-established. An important personality living in the village was Ferdinand Jandl, former headmaster of the school in the village of Rudoltice (between 1876 and 1919) and author of the collection of Hřebečsko region legends. The freedom of the village has been recently bestowed to the bishop emeritus of Hradec Králové – Karel Otčenášek (in 1995). In the village of Rudoltice there is post office, general practitioner’s office, local library, several small businesses – three restaurants, three food shops, whitesmith and roofer, plumber, metalworker, carpenter, upholsterer, mason and tiler, electric installation worker, manufacturing of paper products, car repair shop, tire repair shop, repair and maintenance of copy machines shop, PC repair shop, washing machine repair shop, hairdresser’s, beauty saloon and other small businesses, e.g. used car shop, agricultural company Zámecký vrch, production of gardening and domestic products, Yamaha motorcycle retailer etc. The population of the village is 1,476. There are 249 houses.
German name: Rudelsdorf
The reeve was released upon solicitation of "good people" and payment of 20 three-scores of groschens. At the end of the 16th century, the owner of the domain Adam Hrzán z Harasova was building ponds (at those times very profitable business) regardless the needs of local inhabitants who joined other villages in the dispute with the owner. The armed inhabitants of the Lanškroun region did not hesitate to attack the owner, his clerks or the Lanškroun castle. The lengthy dispute was ended in 1620 – Zdeslav, the oldest son of Adam Hrzán z Harasova settled the dispute after his father’s death. Two years later, he sold the Lanškroun domain to the emperor’s vice regent Karel z Lichtenštejna who begun the Counter Reformation in the domain. The last reference to the local non-catholic churchman is from 1627. Jakub Arnold, former priest of the village of Rudoltice, and his wife Salomena, daughter of Adam Postler from today town of Bystrzyca Kłodzka, today in Poland, had a deed confirming the decent origin of their son Christiana. After the Bílá hora (White Mountain) battle the local rectory was abandoned and it was re-established in 1766. The first reference to the local school education dates back second half of the 17th century. The oldest reference to the school building dates back to 1683. A hundred years later, there was a parish one-classroom school that was moved to the house no. 97 in 1766. The construction of the current school building (house no. 200) begun in 1831 and finished in 1837. With regards to the increasing number of pupils, an additional building was constructed fifty years later. The last renovation works were carried out in 1995. At the end of the 17th century, the fierce character of the teacher Urban Rotter caused several problems: in 1685 the teacher was appointed as the syndic – although he had worked as syndic before, in the year of his appointment the reeve and aldermen criticised lack of confidentiality and diligence. They menaced to annul his appointment to school and church service in case of disobedience. However, these services were not well-paid (in 1687 the teacher asked the Lanškroun town council for the privilege to collect the road-toll. The teacher Urban Rotter got also involved to a fight with several local farmers during the annual carol in 1702 and 1703. There were huge tensions between the teacher and local inhabitants because of the teacher’s salary in 1847 and 1848 – the army was sent to the village because the inhabitants refused to pay obligatory contributions. A milestone in the history of the village was the construction of the Prague – Olomouc railway line. The local railway stop became more important in 1885 – the village was connected by a regional line with the town of Lanškroun. In early 1930’s was added second track and the current building of the Rudoltice railway station. The population of the village of Rudoltice had been German until the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic – a small minority (mostly, employees of the Czechoslovak Railway Company) who managed to establish a school for Czech children. The post-war expulsion of Germans and repopulation of the village by the persons coming from upcountry marked the beginning of the modern history of village. In 1949 the local united agricultural co-operative was founded, in 1970’s was carried out reconstruction of roads, buildings of school, nursery school, crèche, fire brigade and turn-table near to the railway station. The street lightning was constructed. In late 1980’s the construction of the local water supply was started (finished in 1992). Since late 1990’s the municipality have been trying to enlarge the housing stock. After six housing units had been successfully finished, the municipality government body started to carry out the construction of more than three hundreds flats in the Zámeček area (the construction shall be finished in 2009).
