Dowry town


Dowry town is the name for a town that has been devoted by a Bohemian king to his wife - the queen consort.
This was sometimes indicated by the name of the town, as in the case of Hradec Králové, Dvůr Králové nad Labem or Městec Králové. Other well-known Czech dowry towns are: Mělník, Chrudim, Jaroměř, Nový Bydžov, Polička, Trutnov and Vysoké Mýto.

History

All these towns had been bequeathed by Czech kings to their wives since the beginning of the 14th century. Most of them are located in Eastern Bohemia.
Historical centers of the towns are well preserved until today. From time to time cultural or sport events are organised together.

Royal Towns

Towns directly owned by the king were named Royal Town. One such town was Slaný. 16th century Bohemia had around forty King's and Dowry towns. These towns were the eternal property of the monarch and couldn't be sold or used as guarantee of a debt although it happened quite often. These towns and their inhabitants had many economic and social privileges. For example, after Hussite Wars such cities formed the Third estate.