The legend says that history of Carlsbad was started by Czech king and Roman Emperor – Charles IV in half of 14th century, who is said to discover springs at the hunting...but archaeologists says that there was a settlement in the 13th century...
This marvelous spa city lies at the junction of Tepla and Ohre rivers.
First mentioning of the spa is dated to 1370, when Charles IV granted city rights to the newly developed settlement. Other privileges were granted continuously until 1858.
Small hunting castle on the rock above the city was early dominant.
Churches of Mari Magdalena (half-timbered) and St Andrew were built in late 15th century and were followed by City Hall and Hospital of St Spirit in early 16th century.
There were two major havocs in the Carlsbad history:
- vast flood on 9th May 1583
- devastating fire on 13th August 1604 (only 3 houses left, destroying most of the Gothic and Renaissance city)
Disastrous was also Thirty Years War, when most typical handicrafts were gun and rifle manufacture...
Spa was restored by visits of Saxon aristocrats in 17th century, who were followed by Polish and Russian courts. Peter the Great visited Carlsbad twice in years 1711 and 1712.
Gothic architecture was dominating until 18th century, when city boom came. Habsburgs Josef I and Maria Therese paid their attention to Carlsbad and confirmed it´s privileges. Very good relations with court in Vienna led to important subsidies.
Many spa and society buildings were built:
- Saxon Hall in 1701
- Mlynske Lazne (Mill Baths) in 1711 (now place of Mill Spring)
- Theatre in 1717
- Bohemian Hall in 1728 (now place of Grand hotel Pupp)
- Stara Louka social life center for spa guests
- new St. Mari Magdalena Cathedral (Baroque) in 1736 (built in place of former Gothic church)
Than, on 23th May 1759, came another devastating fire (227 mainly Baroque buildings destroyed). However, this time it was not so tragic, whereas consequent rebuilding was planed more systematically and timbered buildings were replaced by romantic civic design. This brought possibility for even more guests to stay here. Spa tax was announced in 1795 and enabled even more investment and other buildings were built:
- Mill Baths were reconstructed in 1762
- Bohemian Hall was rebuilt into Grand hotel Pupp in 1775
- Thermal Spring Hall was built in 1777 (with modern Dr. David Becher´s cure applications)
- new theatre in 1788
- Post Office Yard in 1791
- wooden colonnade New Spring in 1792
In 18th and 19th century visited Carlsbad following guests:
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Theodor Körner, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederik Chopin, Nikola Paganini and many others.
The city became favorite location of many political negotiations after French Revolution (biggest in 1819).
Large spa facilities were built in the last quarter of 19th century (Biedermeier, Empire, Rococo and classicist buildings pulled down), when city received it´s modern Art Nouveau appearance. Very important was also railway network connection from 1870. Carlsbad became most famous European spa (also due to new successful cure of diabetes) and other famous persons came to take a cure (S. Freud, H. Schliemann, K. Marx, N. V. Gogol, T. Fontanne, A. Dvorak, E. Grieg, F. Liszt, J. Brahms, R. Wagner, E. Grieg and others)
New buildings:
- - Military Spa Institution in 1855
- - Baths III in 1866
- - Anglican church and a synagogue in 1877
- - Thermal Spring Colonnade in 1879
- - Mill Colonnade in 1881
- - Market Colonnade in 1883
- - new municipal theatre in 1886
- - Imperial Baths in 1895
- - Russian Orthodox church in 1897
- - Imperial Grand hotel in 1912
Nothing changed even in spite of big flood in 1890.
And than World War I came...starvation, bells taken down for war purposes, over 500 men from Carlsbad were killed.
Than (although quick restoration) other problems with border of newly established Czechoslovak Republic followed (many German and Austrian stayed here). Not all former guests visited Carlsbad again.
All followed by World economic crisis in 1930s...AND World War II...
Following improvements were built in this period:
- water dam to protect city in 1936
- Baths IV in 1927
- health insurance building in 1931
- Redemptorists monastery church in 1933
- Upper Station bridge (technically interesting)
German, American and Russian armies visited city during World War II, but fights fortunately avoided Carlsbad.
As conclusion of the War, all German inhabitants (who exiled most of Czechs in early years of WWII) had to leave their homes until end of 1946.
After establishment of communistic regime in 1948 rather housing development followed and old buildings were neglected.
New buildings from this period:
- Sanssouci sanatorium in 1970
- Swiss Yard in 1971
- Thermal sanatorium built in 1977
- Thermal Spring Colonnade in 1975
- Spa facilities complex in Kostelni street built in 1982
In 1989 came Velvet Revolution and new Era to Carlsbad / Karlovy Vary. Many old buildings were reconstructed or renovated at high costs. Most of traditional factories were modernized. New Bristol sanatorium was built in 1994.
C(h)arl(e)sbad is waiting for new visitors to help them draw new life energy from the miracle springs, which already helped many grateful guests.
