LOCATIONS — 238/262 — Kuttenberg
Kuttenberg (Kutná Hora) is located 70 km east of Prague. The founding of Kuttenberg (as it was called in the Middle Ages) was determined by the discovery of silver ore deposits in the area and its location near the Sedletz Cistercian Monastery, which was the trade and economic center of the region. Kuttenberg obtained municipal rights as early as 1318, and from that time on, its economic activities were overseen by the so-called Urbarer, a royal official. The safe operation of the mines and mints and the maintenance of their high standards were ensured by a set of legal regulations, the mining code (Ius Regale Montanorum). The city quickly became wealthy and had comparable privileges to Prague’s Old Town. The wealthiest residents of Kuttenberg were Germans, while the lower classes were made up of people employed in mines, smelters, mints, or services, and craftsmen. Nearly every resident of the city was involved in silver mining, coin minting, or trade. Kuttenberg’s silver treasures supported the development of other Czech towns and the construction of new buildings in Prague. The architecture of Kuttenberg was significantly influenced by Wenceslas IV, during whose reign houses were rebuilt as brick or timber-framed structures, churches were built, and the Royal Mint and other public buildings were constructed. Thanks to this, we can still admire Gothic architecture here today. The city in the game is based on the real geography of modern Kuttenberg, although we had to adjust the layout of the city. Some districts were moved, reduced, or omitted, and for optimization purposes, walls and gates were added in places where they likely never existed. Even so, we hope we managed to preserve the medieval character of the city.
TRIVIA
— The earliest reference to Kuttenberg appears in 1289 under the Latin name Mons Cuthna, though archaeological finds suggest evidence of mining centuries earlier. The region was already known for mining activity by the 10th century, but remained of only local significance until significant silver deposits were discovered in the 13th century. This transformed the area into one of the most productive sources of silver in medieval Europe. By the late 1200s, silver extracted here accounted for about one third of total European production.
The development of the town was interrupted in 1421, when the Hussites burned down the Sedlec Abbey and captured Kutná Hora. In 1422–1424, part of the German population was expelled and the town was hit by two large fires. Silver mining was restored in 1469. Despite this recovery, the richest ore deposits were gradually exhausted during the 16th century. The last Prague groschen struck from Kuttenberg silver was minted in 1549. Even after its decline as a silver mining powerhouse, its legacy can still be seen today in the many Gothic style structures throughout the city, as well as in Prague, whose many structures were financed by Kuttenberg's silver. By the 17th century, however, the city’s silver wealth had largely dissipated. During the Thirty Years’ War, when Swedish forces entered the region, local authorities are said to have bought them off with beer rather than silver.
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