Fortified Settlement of Benešov nad Černou

Location:
The fortified settlement of Benešov nad Černou is located about 10 km to the east of Kaplice.

Origin of the Name:
The name Benešov nad Černou (the German name is Beneschau) was derived from the name of its founder Beneš Pyšný z Velešína or his grandson Beneš Věrný z Michalovic. The modern attribute is connected to the local Černá (Black) stream (Švarcara). Formerly the name Německý Benešov (German Benešov) was used.

Description of the Place:
The existence of the fortified settlement remains only in the local name of the village because the fortified settlement disappeared after it was deserted at the beginning of the 15th century.

History of the Place's Residents:
The foundation of the fortified settlement probably goes back to the second half of the 13th century or to the beginning of the 14th century and it is ascribed to Beneš Pyšný z Velešína or his grandson Beneš Věrný z Michalovic. Soon after the settlement was established a new village near to it was founded. In 1383 the village was promoted to a little town. After the death of Jindřich z Velešína in the middle of the 14th century the fortified settlement Benešov was passed over to his son Jindřich. When its owner died, Jan z Michalovic inherited the fortified settlement of Benešov and annexed it to the Nové Hrady estates. The new owners did not consider the settlement safe enough and that became the reason why it was deserted at the beginning of the 15th century under the rules of Heinrich III. von Rosenberg.

It also was a reason why a foundation for the settlement's vicarate, founded in 1386 was passed over to the castle chapel of Svatý Jiří (St. George) in Český Krumlov. The fortified settlement mentioned in 1541, was completely destroyed.

(zp)