History and presence of the town České Budějovice
The confluence of the big South Bohemian Vltava and Malše rivers was chosen by the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II in 1265 with a view to establishing the town of České Budějovice and thus to strengthen his powerful position in South Bohemia. The regular ground plan of the newly established royal town, whose centre is formed by an extensive quadrate square, is among the top works of medieval urbanism. The town grew economically due to the king's favour and a favourable position on distance commercial routes. Bohemian kings paid for the fidelity to the Royal crown to the citizens of České Budějovice by awarding numerous privileges ensuring economic prosperity. As early as the turn of the 13th and the 14th centuries two magnificent cathedrals were completed and solid walls surrounded the town. In the course of the turbulent 15th century the catholically oriented town of České Budějovice represented a firm support against the Hussite movement. Žižka himself estimated well the solid character of the fortifications and did not even try to capture the town. With its 4,000 inhabitants the medieval town of České Budějovice was among the largest and most important towns of the Bohemian Kingdom. Nevertheless, it remained a town closed in the ring of the walls with several scattered agricultural estates and gardens in the suburbs. The 16th century brought an unprecedented growth of the town and considerable profits flowing to the municipality particularly from silver mining in the surrounding mines as well as from beer brewing, pond economy and trade with salt. The accumulated means were used by the community, among others, for an ostentatious presentation: a new town hall was built, the walls were rebuilt and the town council decided to erect a high tower, which is currently called "Black Tower". České Budějovice thus took on a charming Renaissance face. In 1569 a mint was established here processing silver mined in the fields around the present Rudolfov. During the course of the Estate Uprising and the subsequent Thirty Years' War České Budějovice remained once more again at the Emperor's part and resisted attacks of the Estate Army. The modern fortification made the town a strategically important fortress where during the war in the 1630s provincial officers moved several times; the local church was temporarily hiding the Bohemian crown jewels.