Přimda

Přimda (Pfraumberg) is a town in Tachov District the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants. It is known for the ruin of the Přimda Castle, which is the second oldest castle in the country.

Administrative parts
The villages of Kundratice, Malé Dvorce, Málkov, Mlýnec, Rájov, Třískolupy, Újezd pod Přimdou and Velké Dvorce are administrative parts of Přimda.

Etymology
The origin of the name Přimda is unclear and there are many theories about its origin. According to some theories, the name is of Slavic origin and derived from the word prêmda, which meant 'very faint'. It originally denoted the hill Přimda and the stream that originates at its foot, later it was transferred to the castle and the settlement. If the German name Pfraumberg was earlier, it may have been derived from Pfrieme, denoting the Stipa plant. The Illyrian origin of the name is also not excluded.

Geography
Přimda is located about 14 km south of Tachov and 50 km west of Plzeň. It lies in the Upper Palatinate Forest. The highest point is the Přimda hill at 848 m above sea level.

History
According to Chronica Boemorum, a castle was founded in the area of Přimda in 1121, but it is uncertain whether Přimda is meant by this castle. The first written mention of the Přimda Castle is from 1126, when Duke Soběslav I rebuilt the castle. It was then an important border fortress. The castle also served as a royal prison, where Soběslav II, later duke of Bohemia was imprisoned twice in the 12th century and Ottokar II, later king of Bohemia, was imprisoned in 1249. The first written mention of the settlement Přimda is in a deed of King John of Bohemia from 1331, when it was already referred to as a town. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Přimda was pledged to various noble families, most notably to the Schwambergs, who held it in 1454–1592. in 1592, Emperor Rudolf II sold off the estate. In 1609, the Přimda Castle was described as ruined and abandoned. From 1675, until the establishment of a sovereign municipality, the estate was property of a branch of the Kolowrat family, which chose Velké Dvorce as the centre of the estate.

The worst event in the history of the town was the bombing during World War II, when on 20 April 1945, most of the town burned down. After World War II, the German-speaking population was expelled and Přimda was partly resettled by Czech families from inland and from Romania.

Transport
The D5 motorway (part of the European route E50), which connects Plzeň with the Czech-German border in Rozvadov, passes through the northern part of the municipal territory.

Sights
The town is known for the Romanesque Přimda Castle, a ruin of the second oldest castle in the country (after Prague Castle). It is located on the Přimda hill. A massive prismatic tower from the first half of the 12th century has been preserved. The ruin is protected as a national cultural monument. Today it is owned by the state and offers guided tours.

The Church of Saint George is the main landmark of the town square with a rich architectural history. It was originally built in the Romanesque style, then it was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the mid-14th century. Around 1500, the Gothic tower was added. Renaissance and early Baroque modifications were made in the 17th century. After the fire in 1945, it was reconstructed to its present form.

In Velké Dvorce is Velké Dvorce Castle, which served as the residence of the Kolowrat family. It was built in the early Baroque style in 1690 and further expanded in the 18th century. Neoclassical modifications were made in the second half of the 19th century and pseudo-Baroque modifications in 1906. Next to the building is a dendrologically valuable park with many exotic woods. Today the castle is privately owned, unused and decaying.

Twin towns – sister cities
Přimda is twinned with:
 * 🇩🇪 Pfreimd, Germany