Verneřice

Verneřice (Wernstadt) is a town in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Čáslav, Loučky, Příbram, Rychnov and Rytířov are administrative parts of Verneřice.

Etymology
The original German name Wernstadt meant "Wern's town". The Czech name was created by transliteration of the German name.

Geography
Verneřice is located about 14 km southeast of Děčín and 18 km east of Ústí nad Labem. It lies in the Central Bohemian Uplands. The highest point is the hill Buková hora at 683 m above sea level. The stream of Bobří potok flows through the town. The entire municipal territory lies within the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area.

History
The first written mention of Verneřice is from 1384. The settlement was probably founded in the second half of the 13th century. Verneřice was promoted to a market town in 1497. In 1522, it became a town.

The textile and shoe industry gradually developed in the town. The first cotton spinning mill in Bohemia was established here in 1707. In 1770, the entrepreneur J. J. Leitenberger founded a manufactory for fabric dyeing and in 1796 a spinning mill. In 1797, the first steam engine in Bohemia was imported to this spinning mill from England. In the 19th century there were already several spinning mills and a machine shop here. In the mid-19th century, lignite was mined in small mines near the town. At the beginning of the 20th century, industry declined and was replaced by agriculture.

Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights
The main landmark of Verneřice is the Church of Saint Anne. Originally a Gothic church from the first half of the 14th century, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1774–1776.

The former Leitenberger's manufactory is a Neoclassical building from 1796, protected as a cultural monument.

Notable people

 * Josef Strobach (1852–1905), politician, Mayor of Vienna