Jiříkov

Sister cities

• Ebersbach-Neugersdorf

History

The first written mention of Jiříkov is from 1346. In the 15th century, it belonged to the Šluknov estate. The village of Filipov was founded in 1681 by the then-owner of the estate, Philipp Sigmund of Dietrichstein, and named after him. Flax was grown in the vicinity of Jiříkov, which was further processed, but due to the wars, the linen craft began to flourish only from 1751. In 1753, the village was promoted to a market town by Empress Maria Theresa. The first textile factory was founded in 1807, and during the 19th century Jiříkov was industrialised. In 1873, the railway was opened. The population grew rapidly and in 1914 Jiříkov became a town. In the interwar period, disagreements between the Czech and German populations began, and in 1938 Jiříkov was annexed by Nazi Germany. After World War II, the German-speaking people were expelled and Jiříkov was repopulated by Czech settlers.

Geography

Jiříkov is located about northeast of Děčín and northwest of Liberec. It lies in the salient region of Šluknov Hook, on the border with Germany. The town is urbanistically fused with the neighbouring German town of Ebersbach-Neugersdorf. Jiříkov is situated in the Lusatian Highlands. The stream Jiříkovský potok flows through the town.