The name Krumlov comes from the German Krumme Aue, the crooked stream after the Vltava River that surrounds the city. Historical sources tell us that the brothers Budivoj from a famous Czech family founded the city on the old commercial route of the lower Danube region. The first written mention of the castle and city is from 1253.

  The old Český Krumlov Over the centuries the castle grew to become one of the most important princely residences with the growing might and influence of the owners. After Hradcany in Prague, it became the second most important castle in central Europe. The area beside the castle was called Latran from the Latin "ad latera castelli" translated as on the side of the castle. The town centre on the other side of the river developed later and is today known as the Old Town. Over the centuries very little has changed. Walls were built around the city and the main development ended in 1347.

From 1302 and for the next 300 years the mighty Rožmberk family, also known as Masters of the Rose, were the rulers and owners of the city.
The city grew in importance. Trade and manufacturing were developed. The beautiful cathedral of St Vitus was built and the Fransiscans, Jesuits and Friars were invited to the city. Silver and gold mining in the area brought prosperity to the city. During the Reformation and the following Hussite wars, Krumlov became a safe haven for the mainly Catholic aristocrats and well-educated citizens of Prague. Due to the might of the Rožmberks, it became the most important city in Southern Bohemia and achieved a place in the Holy Roman Empire of Germanic nations.

Petr I. of Rožmberk was the most important member of the family during the central European Renaissance; it was he who invited the Holy Orders to Krumlov, and subsequently invited a Jewish community to settle in the city in order to establish trade and finance. The 15th century was dominated by the personality of Oldřich of Rožmberk. He was a remarkable politician who maintained his family's might and properties throughout the Hussite wars. Vilem of Rožmberk, another remarkable man, ruled Krumlov during the 16th century.

In 1601, the last of the Rožmberks, debt ridden Petr Vok who almost bankrupted his family, sold Krumlov to the Hapsburg Emperor Rudolph II; he is turn gave it as a gift to the Eggenberg family for their support during the 30 Year War. They kept the city for three generations but did not extend it. The last Eggenberg, John Christian I, finally brought the city out of stagnation. Under his patronage the beautiful castle gardens were created and the remarkable castle theatre, that today is the world's most intact working Baroque theatre, is still occasionally used for performances. An intricate mechanism controls the 10 different sets of scenery and it houses more than 500 costumes and accessories.
Castle theatre  

In 1719, The Schwarzenbergs inherited Krumlov. Under the rule of Joseph Adam of Schwarzenberg, Krumlov again became a centre of culture and art inspired by the style of the Viennese Imperial Court. From the 19th century onwards, Krumlov ceased to be an aristocratic residence. Economic stagnation followed and it is due to this that Krumlov has kept its medieval character up to the present time. It was in the 19th century that most of the city walls were demolished. At the beginning of the 20th century, the renaissance of Czech nationalism caused conflict between the Czech and German populations in the city. During WWI a peaceful coexistence between the inhabitants was achieved. The word Český (Czech) was added to the name Krumlov. This was not to last; by the middle of the 1930s Krumlov and its inhabitants' hatred of religion poisoned the minds of the German population of Krumlov and they requested annexation by Germany together with expulsion of the Czechs and Jews from the city. 1945 saw the American liberation of an undamaged city. The German inhabitants were expelled to Germany and Czechs came from all over country to settle in Krumlov.

During the Communist period, city development and maintenance of historical buildings came to a standstill. The regime did not welcome tourism, fearing its influence on the local people. Paradoxically, this policy preserved Krumlov and in 1989 it awoke from a "long sleep" to be named by UNESCO as a World Heritage City and has now become an international tourist attraction visited by many thousands of visitors from all over the world.

The development of Krumlov is inseparable from the history of the Rožmberk family, the heraldic emblem of the city being that of the main stem of the family ? the five red petals, rose on a silver background. This emblem can be seen in differing colours, according to the branch of the family, throughout Southern Bohemia.

The Master of the Rose ruled the city and surrounding area for over 200 years during which time it attained great prosperity. When Petr Vok was forced to sell the city, the Rožmberk era ended and the absolute power of the Habsburgs increased, culminating with the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early part of the 20th century.

More information you can find on Official Information System of the Český Krumlov Region.
Hotel THE OLD INN, Český Krumlov