HISTORY OF THE CITY
    The town of Netolice lies in undulating landscape, surrounded by ponds, in foothills of the Bohemian Forest 427 meters above sea level, approximately on halfway between the southern Bohemian capital České Budějovice and the city of Prachatice.

Evidence of the town’s antiquity is given by number of burial mounds and tumulus burial grounds from the Bronze age in its surroundings. The Slaves have settled in the Netolicko region probably already in 8th century, the Slavic kin of Netolici is mentioned among the first to settle the Bohemian territory. The oldest written mention in the Chronicle of Cosmas from year 981 says (while describing the domain of Slavníkovci) that it used to have “on its southern side these boundary castles to protect it against the Austrians: Chýnov, Důdleby, Netolice“. After the slaughter of Slavníkovci family in 995 Netolice castle became property of governing Premyslide family. Thanks to its strategic location on the junction of several important trade routes leading to the heart of the Czech basin from southern regions and Passau the Netolice fortified settlement on the top of St. Ján hill became an important center of trade and administration of the whole region where the princely regent had its seat. Name of first mentioned regent on Netolice is Nemoj and the mention of it comes from 1167. The former trading hamlet emerged as the settlement round the castle next to the church of St. Wenceslaus. Recently the remains of fortification were found during archaeological excavations. After the king Přemysl Otakar II founded Zlatá Koruna monastery in 13th century the town of Netolice became part of the property local Cistercians. A new town with a vast (almost one hectare large) square and the church of Holy Virgin’s assumption was founded southward of former trading hamlet with St. Wenceslaus church. 

After the death of Přemysl Otakar II. in the battle of the Moravian field Vítkovci have destroyed the monastery and Netolice with its surroundings. A magistrate, first mentioned in written sources in 1317, became the head of the city autonomy. The oldest evidence of the city emblem usage on seals comes from the year 1326. Some of the Netolice inhabitants took actively part on the Hussite wars on the side of the Hussites. Particularly on the military campaign of Jan Žižka in 1420 against the Zlatá Koruna monastery and the city of Prachatice, which controlled the profitable trade with salt, the pretence to get rid of a competitor was of major importance. The Rožmberk watch castle Poděhusy not far from Netolice was destroyed by the Hussites only a year later. King Jiří z Poděbrad has granted the right of annual fairs on the St. Wenceslaus day to the town in 1468. The town has had the right to arrange total of four annual fairs per year. In the same year a well-known warrior and knight Jindřich Roubík z Hlavatec got control of it and has established his base here. At the beginning of 16th century Netolice fell upon the Rožmberk family. A major change has occurred in its surrounding in second half of 16th century. Leptáč fortress that belonged to famous pond founder and Rožmberk administrator Jakub Krčín z Jelčan stood nearby the city. The ruler Vilém of Rožmberk (1535–1592) has exchanged it with Krčín for his domain in Sedlčany and had an Italian architect Baltazar Maggi of Arogn build him renaissance hunting–lodge Kratochvíle in the center of large game preserve. In 1599 last member of the Rožmberk family Petr Vok with his court has spent a longer time here.

During its greatest blossom the town was affected by a severe strike: it was conquered and burned down by the emperor’s army led by general Dampierra. Out of 143 houses 107 were burned down including the church of Holy Virgin and city inhabitants were slaughtered. The town was recovering from this disaster only very slowly. After the Rožmberks the Eggenbergs have gained the Netolice domain in 1622 and after them the Schwarzenbergs in 1799. The square and houses with wooden bowers are pictured on a unique image of the town from 1686 and also on a century-younger painting. Wooden houses within a built-up area of a small city have lot in common with oldest rural buildings. The modern blossom of the town is dated to18th and 19th century when new schools, city hall, railway, etc. were built. In 19th century Netolice was seat of local authority and court.

The markets have played an important role in the economic life of Netolice since the medieval period. Thanks to its location on the junction of trade routes, on the boundary of the Bohemian Forest, the region of Zbudovská Blata and part of the České Budějovice basin the city became an important trading center. Mainly horse and livestock trading took place on weekly markets. For example there still was 3000 pieces of livestock and horses at the market place at once before the second world war. Thanks to this fact almost 30 market inns have flourished here. In the year 1945 the 26. infantry division of the United States army has liberated the town. Even the agreement of demarcation line between American and Red armies was signed here.

The realm of agricultural and industrial production went under the main development in the post-war period. Also fish farming, horse rising and bakery have a long tradition in Netolice and have their own Internet sites.

CITY EMBLEM
     Usage of the town emblem featuring Holy Virgin with Christ-child seated on a bench throne is supported with evidence already in the year 1326. On one of the seals from 16th century a shield with pennant is lying under Holy Virgin’s feet. It is probably a personal emblem of that time magistrate. At the end of 18th century this pennant with five red stripes on white ground started to be used as second town emblem by misunderstanding. We can see it for example on the facade of the old town hall and it was also used during the communist regime, when the symbolism of Holy Virgin was not desirable.

The correct appearance of the city emblem pictures Holy Virgin in red shield with golden crown seated on gothic throne with Christ-child in her hands and silver half moon under her feet. The pennant with stripes is symbolically used as the emblem of municipal authorities in present.

NATIVES
Vojtěch Brichta (1732– beginning of 19th century)
tenor of St. Vitus cathedral in Prague, a member of court band in Vienna

František Gregora (1819–1887)
composer, pedagogical director in Vodňany and Písek Tablet has been placed on his natal home in Gregorova Street

Miroslav Hampl (1897–1974)
historian, director of the Art and Industrial museum in Prague

Tony Hořínek (*1911)
a popular country music songster

Jan Chmela (1740–?)
member of the Jesuit order, teacher of rhetoric and poetry on different Jesuit schools, author of several works

Josef John (1802–1871)
forester of the Schwarzenberg family, he contributed to the declaration of the Boubín primeval forest a nature reserve. The so-called John’s stone has been built on the Boubín hill in his memory.

Josef Kudrna, MD (…)
Father of Otakar Kudrna, Netolice mayor, collector, patron and a friend of K. H. Mácha and J. K. Tyl

Otakar Kudrna, JUDr. (1853–1940)
attorney, Netolice mayor, member of local authority, collector, historian, patron and founder of Netolice museum

Štěpánek Netolický z Netolic (1470–1538)
most famous local native, forester of the Rožmberk family, „fish-master“ and sheriff of Třeboň, founder of Czech fish farming

Alois Sarauer (1901–1980)
composer and educator

Martin Sedlák (1829–1893)
school director and inspector, his son Jaroslav has written memoirs From student to teacher’s desk about his life (1960)

Josef Vítězslav Šimák (1870–1941)
historian, university professor, author of numerous historical works

PERSONALITIES
Valentin Koptiades Přeštický (around 1585–1640)
bachelor of Prague university, municipal scribe with own literally activities, died in Netolice

Jakub Krčín z Jelčan (1535–1604)
Rožmberk administrator and south Bohemian fish farmer, the owner of Leptáč fortress (see also Kratochvíle) has built the artificial sewer called Krčínka that led from Lhenice to Kratochvíle. This act has brought him constant hostility from the Netolice inhabitants.

Jan Felix z Lovoše – Cervulus (1. half of 17th century)
rector of city school, a literary active citizen

Filip Neumann (1774–1860)
stocking maker, Netolice citizen, father of Jan Nepomuk Neumann (1811–1860), bishop in Philadelphia, USA, who has been canonized in the year 1977

Václav Zikmund Sokol Písecký (1580–1646)
Master of Prague university, school administrator, municipal scribe, literarily and musically active, author of a seven-voices Latin mass

Josef Kajetán Tyl (1808–1856)
Czech playwright and actor, he was engaged in the Netolice theatre

Jindřich de Veerle (+1690)
painter on the Eggenberg court, the author of the View of Kratochvíle by Netolice