J. G. Sommer (1847), "Kingdom of Bohemia", vol. 15, pp. 1-16
Translation Copyright 2001 by Urs Geiser - All rights reserved

Royal City and Dominion Elbogen

The royal city Elbogen [1] (Czech Loket, Latin Cubitus) is situated just about in the middle of the district, on a rock that falls steeply toward the Eger River, on the left bank of that river which surrounds the city in the manner of an elbow (hence the name). Its distance (WNW direction) from Prague is 17 1/2 Austrian postal miles (at 24,000 W. feet) or (in direct line) 16 geographical miles (at 23,468.69 W. feet). The geographical northern latitude is (according to David) 50°11'05", the eastern longitude (according to Ferro) 30°24'15".

The city with its estates Grünlas, Schmalnhof, Münchhof, Neusattel, Unter-Chodau, and Littmitz, which form their own dominion, borders the dominion Neudek on the north, the dominion Karlsbad and the estate Aich on the east, the dominion Petschau on the southeast and the south, and the dominion Falkenau on the west. Imbedded within the dominion is the (external) estate Ober-Chodau.

The usable areas are according to the Katastral-Zergliederungs-Summarium [official land use summary]:

I. City Elbogen

II. Villages of Elbogen and Estate Litmitz

The surface of the area is mountainous and slopes from the northwest towards the southeast down into the valley of the Eger, on whose left bank the bulk of the dominion is situated. The southeastern part is also relatively flatter than the northwestern part. On the left bank of the Eger, northeast of Elbogen, is the Horner Berg, a granite mountain with a basalt top. Also, the mountains that rise steeply from the right bank of the Eger, i.e., the Raubitschberg and the Zechberg or Ziegenrücken ["goat's back"], are composed of granite, which especially on the sides of the river valley is exposed in picturesque cliffs and pillars. Their interesting shapes are known under the name of Heilingsfelsen. The rock is an excellent large grained porphyric granite with respectable twin crystals of feldspar. Also the foot of the Erzgebirge [mountain range] near the villages belonging to this dominion is made of granite, and even in the valley, between the Horner Berg and the Erzgebirge, this rock type is visible in several places, such as at Stelzengrün and Neuhäuser, near Pechgrün, east of Wintersgrün between Putschirn, Janesen, Imligau, and Münchhof, and in small parts near Taschwitz and Grünlas. Otherwise, the valley floor is filled with younger portions of the lignite formation and covered with sedimentary deposits, among which of the former there is shale with lignite inclusions between Grünlas and Neusattel, southwest of Aldernhof and northwest of Littmitz between Horn, Taschwitz, and Janesen, north of Hanuschen, south and north of Putschirn, south and north of Granesau. However, sandstone is visible near Vogleis, east of Grünlas and Granesau, between Taschwitz and Putschirn, and south of Doglasgrün.

The main river is the Eger which, coming from the dominion Falkenau, enters the present area above Vogeley. It then flows east, and after bypassing the city on the west, south, and east side in the shape of an arch it continues in direction east, then turns north and enters the area of the city of Karlsbad, which it reaches below Taschwitz. The Eger receives during its course through the dominion on its left side, i.e., from northwest, several small creeks: above Elbogen city Grünlas Creek, and below Taschwitz Chodau Creek, which forms from the confluence of Zinisch Creek and Lochmühl Creek and is reinforced below Münchshof by the Imligau Creek. All of these creeks run through the area of the dominion. On the right side the tributaries of the Eger are, opposite the city, Flut Creek, which originates from Schlaggenwald above Zech, and further up Geyer Creek. The richness of many kinds of fish, such as eels, pike-perch, carp, pike, barbel, and whitefish, was more impressive in earlier days compared to today, when for a large number of years the effluents from the numerous rain soaked mining tailings have become saturated with many mineral substances and have negatively influenced the reproductive capacity of the fish. The creeks from the mountains contain many beautiful trout.

Among the ponds, the largest is Rohla Pond, between Neu-Rohlau and the village Poschetzau. Near the latter there are also the village pond, the Aplas (Ablass [=drain]) pond, the Sauteich [pig pond] etc. Near the villages of Pechgrün, Chodau, Doglasgrün, Litmitz, Wintersgrün, Neusattel, Dreihäuser, Kirberg etc. there are several more small ponds; of note are near Doglasgrün the Grasteich, Kolbenteich, Heinzelteich, near Dreihäuser the Schwarzteich, and near Kirberg the Küchelteich. In the year 1790 73 ponds were counted. Since that time, they are leased for a certain number of years at a time. Most ponds contain good carp which are exported into the Erzgebirge and into Saxony, also pike, pike-perch, trout, and other edible fish. In the Schwarzteich and Küchelteich trout of 3 to 4 pounds are caught. Because of the sulfate factories that were built in and around Littmitz a number of ponds into which the tailing effluents drain have become worthless, and they cannot be stocked with fish anymore.

The population is 9045 souls, including 2409 in the city and 6636 in the surrounding villages. Among them are 10 Protestant and 5 Jewish families. The language everywhere is German.

The sources of income and food of the dominion and its populace are agriculture and animal husbandry, civil trades, bobbin lace work, and many sorts of labor in the various factories both within the this dominion and in adjacent ones. Some farming is also done by city people on the side. Manufacturing industry has increased considerably in recent years since the city became more accessible to the general traffic due to the opening of the chain bridge (see below). On the other hand, the bobbin lace industry in the mountains has recently lost importance for a variety of reasons.

The soil is mainly clay in the flatter, southeasterly parts of the dominion, whereas in the mountains it is more sandy. In the moderately high mountains south or right of the Eger, clay and silicate soils are equally represented. Clay containing areas are considered adequate for wheat, whereas the latter are ok for barley. However, for the judgement of fertility for all three soil types one must not overlook the influence of the climate, as well as the still commonly practiced three crop rotation cycle. Even though the urban farmer with a better cultivation scheme and more fertile soils may obtain not uncommonly 7 or 8 grains for wheat, 5 to 6 for rye, 9 to 10 for barley, and 7 to 8 for oats, on average for the entire dominion one must assume no more than half that, and in the higher mountains the farmer is already satisfied with 2.5 to 3 grains of rye or oats [per ear]. Apart from the above-mentioned grains, other crops are potatoes, cabbage, clover, beets, and flax (for own use). The potatoes are for the rural people the most important crop, not only as their main food staple, but also in better years as an aid for the feeding of livestock, and sometimes even as a trade good for sale in the higher mountains. -- Orchards are only maintained in the lower and warmer surroundings of the city, and their cultivation has greatly increased not only in the open areas but also near the villages and in gardens, mainly due to the trade school gardens near the city and in several villages during the last 25 years.

The livestock count of the citizens and the subjects was on 30 April 1837: 113 horses (112 adults, 1 foal), 3102 head beef (28 breeding bulls, 12 young bulls, 1874 cows, 455 heifers, 3 beef oxen, 570 working oxen, 160 young oxen), 727 sheep (461 adults, 266 lambs), 21 pigs, 288 goats, and 114 bee hives.

The 10 dairy farms that belong to the government are situated in Grünlas, Neusattel, Schmalnhof, Vogleis, Wintersgrün, Granesau, Littmitz, Unter-Chodau, Münchhof, and Imligau, and they are leased to tenants for periods of time. The former sheep herds have been dissolved with the inception of the lease system.

The game numbers are insignificant, and the hunt is leased. Annually, at most 15 or 16 roe bucks, 120 to 130 hares and a similar number of partridge are killed and partially sold in the city, and partially in Karlsbad.

Coal mining is carried out partially by the city near Grünlas, and partially by private companies near Putschirn, Münchhof, Unter-Chodau, Granesau, and Hunischgrün.

Larger commercial enterprises with royal and imperial privileges are (a) the china factory of the brothers Haidinger in Elbogen, with 230 workers; (b) the china factory of Mr. Aloys Porges of Portheim in Unter-Chodau, with 105 workers; and (c) a soot and lamp black factory of the brothers Haidinger near Neusattel, with 14 workers, where there is a special installation for the production of coke from lignite for the [iron] forges.

In addition, on 1 January 1846 in the city and in the villages there was police, commercial and free trade carried out by 327 masters and other owners with 189 fellows, 122 apprentices and aides, for a total of 640 persons. Among them were the following masters and trade owners: 12 bakers, 33 beer sellers, 2 brewers, 7 brandy sellers, 1 bookbinder, 1 gunsmith, 1 wirepuller, 1 dyer, 9 coopers, 9 butchers, 10 innkeepers, 3 glass cutters, 9 grist millers, 1 beltmaker, 1 glovemaker, 2 hatmakers, 1 combmaker, 1 tinsmith/plumber, 5 small animal butchers and meat smokers, 2 furriers, 1 coppersmith, 1 candy and sweets baker, 1 lithographer, 4 masons (20 fellows), 16 millers, 3 nail smiths, 3 milliners, 1 chimney sweep, 2 tanners, 2 saddlemakers, 4 saw millers, 4 locksmiths, 18 blacksmiths, 29 tailors, 59 shoemakers, 1 soapmaker, 3 ropemakers, 7 stone masons, 14 furnituremakers, 10 potters, 2 watchmakers, 2 wainwrights, 4 wine sellers, 5 brickmakers, and 4 carpenters (51 fellows). -- Traders were 3 owners of mixed good stores, 15 grocers and traveling salesmen.

During the four fairs that the city is entitled to (Phil. Jak., Martin B., Maundy Thursday, and Thursday before Christmas), on 40 larger and 45 smaller stands, cloth, cut and gallantry items [Schnitt- und Galanterie-Waren], as well as iron, sheet metal and other metal products, and various products of the area are sold. Furthermore, there are cattle markets every first Monday of the month. The weekly markets (Monday) are usually not held due to the lack of competition. -- Also, in the villages of Dotterwies and Unter-Chodau there are small markets during church holidays with 18 to 25 stands.

The health personnel of the city of Elbogen includes 1 medical doctor who is the city physician (with a salary of 350 fl. C.Mze. from city royalties), 2 surgeons and obstetricians (among them one city surgeon paid 16 fl. 40 kr. C.M. from city royalties and 16 fl. 40 kr. C.M. from the subjects), 3 midwives (among them one city midwife paid 50 fl. C.M., 2 Kl. firewood and 3 loads of coal), and 1 pharmacist. In the villages there are (a) in Unter-Chodau 1 doctor of medicine, 2 surgeons and obstetricians (whereof 1 government official paid 33 fl. 20 kr. C.M. from city royalties and 33 fl. 20 kr. from the subjects' tax coffers), and 1 midwife; (b) in Littmitz 1 government surgeon and obstetrician (paid 33 fl. 20 kr. C.M. from each as in Unter-Chodau); (c) in Dotterwies 1 midwife (paid 30 fl. C.M. and 2 loads of coal); and (d) in Kösteldorf 1 midwife.

For the support of the indigent there are poorhouses in Elbogen and Unter-Chodau, and a hospital in Elbogen.

The Elbogen poorhouse has existed for as long anyone remembers; it was properly incorporated in 1826, and at the end of 1845 it possessed an endowment of 428 fl. 41.5 kr. C.M. and 5836 fl. 43 kr. W.W. Its income (from interest, membership contributions, proceeds of new year cards, contribution from the city royalties, and the various other payments that the poor peoples' institutions are entitled to, e.g., penalties, taxes, licensing percentages, etc.) in the same year was 6 fl. C.M. and 1804 fl. 41.75 kr W.W. With this sum 80 poor people were supported with daily alms of 2 to 12 kr. each. Especially important among the membership contributions are those from the government personnel, the church, and the factory owners.

The poorhouse in Unter-Chodau was founded on 22 December 1827 by the government, and its endowment was increased later by contributions from various benefactors, in particular Mr. Joseph Edler von Stark, Mr. Kleophas Marterer and Mr. Anton Franz. At the end of 1845 it contained 1749 fl. 25.5 kr. W.W. Its income in the same year was 206 fl. 28.5 kr. W.W, the number of paupers was 7, and another 5 are taken in by members of the community, who take turns.

From the income of the hospital which was founded a long time ago by the citizens of Elbogen with legacies, real estate property and Urbarzinsungen [some kind of tax or fee], and which was newly incorporated and provided with a letter of trust in 1784 by the city government, in 1845 26 inmates were supported with daily rations of 2 to 10 kr. W.W. each, for a total of 1064 fl. 3 kr. W.W. The endowment contained 3085 fl. 42.5 kr. C.M. and 12811 fl. 17 kr. W.W. at the end of 1845; its income (from interest, [... and various special taxes]), was 259 fl. 25.5 kr. C.M. and 662 fl. 27 kr. W.W.

Through the dominion runs the Karlsbad Road, coming from Karlsbad to Elbogen, traversing the city, and continuing through Altsattel to Falkenau and Eger. It was built as a paved road [Chaussee] in 1825 to 1834 at the expense of the city. Two other paved roads built by government lead to Heinrichsgrün and Graslitz, and to Neudek, respectively, both continuing into Saxony. Another paved road runs toward the south through Zech and Schlagenwald. There is a royal and imperial stage and mail post.

The city of Elbogen consists of the proper city, surrounded by a wall, which contains 139 houses with 1433 inhabitants, the suburb Litmitz with 109 houses and 782 inhabitants, and the suburb Rabisch with 32 houses and 194 inhabitants, for a total of 280 houses and 2409 inhabitants. Among them are 9 Protestant families. The city used to have but one single gate, however now there are two of which the first, original one, leads onto the chain bridge over the Eger river to the left bank and on to Karlsbad etc., whereas the second one, which was only established at the occasion of the construction of the chain bridge by the enlargement and renovation of an earlier small portal, leads to Falkenau etc. The cornerstone of the chain bridge was laid on 18 July 1834 by the former Oberstburggraf [lit. supreme castle count, top administrator in the Kingdom of Bohemia], Karl Count of Chotek. In 1835 His Majesty the emperor allowed to name the bridge Ferdinandsbrücke, and on 24 November 1836 it was opened. 8 wagons loaded with 500 hundredweight of stone attested to the solidity of the beautiful work. Its height over the water level is 12 Klafter. The masonry is granite, and the metal parts were manufactured in the forges of the dominion Rothenhaus.

Noteworthy are:

(1) The Dekanalkirche [church with a dean -- senior priest] of St. Wenzel, inside the city. It was erected in the 13th century by the order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, which in 1247 received the patronage of King Wenzel I. This patronage was confirmed to the order, after already in 1248 Pope Innocence IV confirmed the donation, in 1257 by the Bishop of Prague, Nikolaus von Riesenburg, and in 1293 for eternity by the Bishop of Prague, Tobias von Bechyns, and it is exerted into our days by a general grandmaster. Besides the Dechant [dean], two chaplains are employed. Until 1550 the sermons were held alternatingly in German and in Bohemian. The high altar is adorned by a painting by Brandel, representing the murder of St. Wenzel. The promotion to Dekanalkirche occurred in 1565 by Archbishop Anton who was also the general grandmaster of the order. Included in the parish are, besides the city of Elbogen, the villages of Grünlas, Neusattel, Horn, Zech, Höfen, Rallesgrün and Dreihäuser, the place Stemmeisel, the farm Wildenau, and the dairy farm Vogleis. On 26 January 1725 the church burned down, but was already rebuilt in 1728.

(2) The burial church St. John the Baptist, at the cemetery in the suburb of Littmitz, an old decrepit building, standing hard on a cliff.

(3) The main school with 3 grades, under the patronage of the city government; with 1 director, 1 catechist, 4 teachers, and 1 aide. At the girls school that it is connected to, 2 catechists, 1 teacher, 1 aide, and 1 industrial teacher [home economics?] are on staff.

(4) The nursery care institution with 1 ecclesiastical and 1 secular supervisor, 1 accountant, 1 teacher, and 1 caretaker. Its endowment was 3574 fl. 55 kr. C.M. in 1845.

(5) City Hall. Here a curious mass of meteor iron is stored which has been known for centuries under the name of "cursed count". According to a legend, in medieval time a Burggraf [castle count] at Elbogen is said to have treated his subjects with great harshness and was therefore often cursed by the latter, and one day one of these curses took effect. When the count tried to call his subjects to required forced labor with a bell, he is said to have been struck by a strike of lightning from heaven and turned into this lump of metal. In old days, superstition ascribed the lump, which sat in a vault of the castle, magic forces, i.e., that it would change weight over time, and that, if thrown into the 22 Klafter deep castle well, it would always reappear etc. The royal and imperial general Johann von Werth decided to try this out during the thirty year war and had it thrown into the well. However, later it was pulled out again and brought into the castle. In 1742, the French threw the lump again into the well, and it stayed there until 1776 when it was recovered and now stored at the city hall. In 1811 a professor of chemistry at the ... technical institute in Prague, Mr. K. A. Neumann (his title today is royal and imperial Gubernalrath], had a small piece of the lump sent to him for chemical analysis and recognized in it a piece of meteoritic iron. This was later confirmed by the chemist von Klaproth and the physicist Dr. Chladni [2]. Later, the mass was divided into two uneven parts, of which the larger, weighing ca. 150 pounds, was delivered to the royal and imperial natural history museum in Vienna, whereas the smaller, ca. 40 pounds, is still at the city hall [3].

(6) The Castle, originally called Stein-Elbogen due to its rocky location. It is said to have been founded as early as 870 by the margraves of Vohenburg who were related to the dukes of Bavaria, to whom the entire Eger and Elbogen districts belonged until the 12th century [4]. Currently, part of the building is occupied by the criminal jail.

(7) The brewery which belongs to the citizens with brewing rights (amounting to 21 barrels).

(8) The pharmacy; and

(9) The royal and imperial post.

Outside of the city, on the right shore of the Eger in the valley, are:

(10) The china factory of the brothers Haidinger (see above);

(11) The farm Wildenau,

(12) The Raubitsch mill, and

(13) The Herrenmühle [gentlemen's or noble mill]. -- The area where these two mills are located and where there are also some citizens houses with fields and gardens which together now form the suburb Rabitsch, was in earlier times a town by itself, named Rabitsch (Rabic [c with hacek]) or Rauditsch, also Gabitsch (Gabi [c with hacek]).

(14) The place Stemmeisl (according to Schaller also named Stehmeyßl), which is 1/2 hour east and consists of 2 farms.

Elbogen is the seat of the k.k. [royal and imperial] district office for the Elbogen with one k.k. effective Gubernialrath [governor] and district chief, 3 district deputies, 1 district secretary, 7 other civil servants, 1 district physician, and 1 district surgeon.

The city has a regular city council, which also acts as criminal court, with 1 approved [or elected] mayor, 4 approved councilors, 4 Auskultanten [?], 1 secretary, and one Wirtschaftsanwalt [economic councilor?].

Also here is the station of a k.k. road master for the second section of the Karlsbad road, and of a k.k. branch tax office belonging to the mountain [mining] superior district of Joachimsthal.

The coat of arms of the city is an arm carrying a bare sword.

Elbogen is said, according the sources used by Schaller, to have been founded around 870, namely by the margraves of Vohburg (Vohenburg) [5] who were related to the dukes of Bavaria, to whom the entire Eger and Elbogen districts belonged at that time [6]. Berchtold, Margrave of Vohburg, died in the first half of the 12th century without male heirs, and the Elbogen area came to Emperor Friedrich I, who in 1149 married Adelheid, a daughter of the deceased. However, when they divorced by decree of the church assembly of Kostnitz in 1153, the wife's relatives, the dukes of Bavaria, claimed the heritage of Berchtold, and they succeeded to take possession of the lands, i.e., Elbogen and Eger. The current Elbogen district was then the Zupa [Z with hacek] (or province) Sedlitz; the Zupan (castle count, Burggraf) had his seat in the town of Sedlitz (Zedlitz), the current village Zettlitz of the dominion Tüppelsgrün. But toward the end of the 12th century the seat was moved to Loket (Elbogen), as we find in old documents from the year 1189 and 1197 explicit reference to a Provincia Cubitensis [7]. Therefore, Elbogen could only briefly have been in the possession of the dukes of Bavaria and soon must have been returned to Bohemia.

King Wenzel I granted, as already mentioned above, in 1247 the patronage over the church of Elbogen to the Noble Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. When in 1249 the same king resigned in favor of his son Premysl [r with hacek] Otakar, Elbogen was one of three castles [8] which were left to him for support according to the contract of succession. However, Pope Innocence IV declared the contract, which had been forced upon the father, to be invalid, and Premysl Otakar only ascended to the throne after the death of his father in 1253. The reign of King Otakar II was marked by his attempt to create a class of free citizens in Bohemia, to found new cities, and to attract German immigrants into the country, especially from [missing!] [9]. In particular, he settled numerous such immigrants along the southwestern border and in 1255 in Elbogen and the surrounding area [10]. However, he omitted, unlike the case of many other cities, to elevate Elbogen to the rank of royal city.

When in the 14th century the well known adversities between King Johann and Heinrich von Lipa, which had started between the latter and Queen Elisabeth who had been named acting regent during the king's absence, and which ignited the torch of civil war throughout the country, the queen and her children Margareth, Guta and Wenzel (the future Emperor Karl IV) went to Elbogen where they spent several months [11] until the King, who had become under the influence of Heinrich von Lipa, removed them from there and exiled them to Melnik. When and to whom the mortgage of the city by King Johann took place, as mentioned by Schaller [12], is not known. His son Karl, whom he named in 1333 regent under the title of "Margrave of Moravia", enabled himself through an extensive Berna (tax) which was allowed to raise by the Stände [council of states] to release the mortgage in the same year [13].

Nothing is known about the fate of the city and the area during the Hussite war. However, extrapolating from what we will tell later about the city of Eger, one can conclude that also this area was subject to great destruction.

Quarrels between the citizens and the royal castle count, especially the last one of these, Puta von Eylenburg (or Ilburg), against whom recurring complaints were lodged with the king, compelled the latter in 1434 to mortgage the castle, the city, and the dominion Elbogen to the castle count of Eger, the knight Kaspar Schlick who was simultaneously promoted to count, and his heirs, for the loan amount of 11,900 Rhenish gulden. When after Kaspar's death in 1449 his brother Matthäus and his nephew Wenzel assumed the possession of Elbogen, these too found themselves in many disagreements both with the citizens and their own relatives, the counts Niklas and Hieronymus Schlick, such that they decided later to sell all their possessions for 23,000 gulden to the Elector Ernst of Saxony and his brother, Duke Albrecht. But the displeasure of the Elbogen citizens about this sale threatened to erupt in bloody resistance, and in 1471 one was forced to accept a compromise where Duke Albrecht of Saxony became only the protector of the entire area, but the above Counts Schlick became the true owners. After the death of both counts in 1487 the city and the dominion Elbogen, as well as the estate Münchhof, went to Count Matthäus, son of Hieronymus, and after his death to his sons Sebastian, Quirin, and Albrecht, against whom the citizens again revolted such that the owners had to appeal to their protector, Duke George of Saxony, for help. The latter did not hesitate to overrun the city with a large army and tried to punish the leaders of the revolt, after he burned down 70 houses. The leaders however escaped to Prague, where they took their complaints to the government and the Stände [council of states] and asked to be incorporated under the crown of Bohemia again. The Stände, who didn't like the powerful house of Schlick who owned almost the entire Elbogen district at that time [14] and who had been urging to restore the former unity under the crown of Bohemia, seized this opportunity, and in 1505 Heinrich von Neuhaus and Albrecht von Kolowrat were asked to march against Elbogen. Furthermore, the king (Wladislaw II) commanded the city of Budweis that it should help with all its possibilities if it were asked to help against the Counts Schlick. The counts defended themselves with much bravery; however, they were attacked repeatedly with much superior forces, and their protector, the Duke of Saxony who returned home after the first sack of the city, kept quiet, and finally they conceded on their own, made peace with the Stände on 21 March 1506, and together with their possessions were incorporated into the kingdom of Bohemia. Count Albrecht Schlick remained proprietor of Elbogen [15] but traded it because the citizens remained reticent in 1533 with Count Hieronymus Schlick against the estates Radonitz and Winternitz in the Saaz district [16]. However, the latter did not succeed either in winning the confidence of the citizens. Furthermore, he took big losses from a Saxonian army under General Thumshirn during the Schmalkalden War of 1547 and was forced to cede the castle, the city, and the dominion again to the crown of Bohemia on 22 August 1547. Already in 1545, the Counts Schlick had ceded all mines in the Elbogen district to King Ferdinand I [17]. Soon thereafter, on 27 September, the monarch allowed the city to hold an annual fair and elevated it to the rank of Royal City.

The citizens, as well as the entire area that was contiguous with the original place of the Reformation and the Counts Schlick themselves, all belonged to the Lutheran faith during the 16th century. But soon after the beginning of the Thirty Year War the city came under strong occupation under Count Mannsfeld who surrendered on 7 May 1621 to Duke Maximilian of Bavaria. In 1631, the Saxons took the city, but they had to make room already on 15 June of the same year for the Duke of Friedland, Albrecht von Waldstein. The last attack during this war, by the Swedes under General Count Königsmark in 1646 was luckily rejected [18]. By royal decree dated 5 December 1636, King Ferdinand III ordered that no Jews could become citizens of the city and that they couldn't even live there.

A great fire in 1725 reduced the entire city except for a few houses to ashes. In 1751 the Elbogen district, which had been combined in 1714 with that of Saaz [19], was separated again and received its own district office.

The current dominion Elbogen was formed from several estates, villages, and farms which the city had been buying over time starting in the 16th century. The oldest possession is the Hintere and Vordere Haid (a pasture with farmland between Vogleis and Neusattel), which had already been bought in 1397 from Wenzel Räch in Grünlas. Upon solicitation by the city council, King Ferdinand I, who as told above had received the Elbogen dominion (along with Königsberg, Schönbach, and Hartenberg) from Hieronymus Schlick, on 29 June 1562 mortgaged the entire possessions of the city for 30 years for the sum of 30,000 Taler. After this period expired, on 7 May 1598 the city bought from King Rudolph II also the castle (Stein-Elbogen) with the villages of Dotterwies, Schwarzenbach, Griesbach, Granesau, Doglasgrün, Wintersgrün, and Haßlmühle, the dairy farm Schmalnhof with the sheep farm and the villages of Nallesgrün, Höfen, Zech, Ziegelhütten, Horn, Taschwitz, Janessen, Putschirn, and Poschetzau, besides several forests etc.

In 1599, the city obtained by trade from Jobst Tyßl von Daltitz the village and estate of Neusattel. It had belonged earlier to the Von Schönau. family. The estate Vogleis which belonged to it was a special asset.

The estate Münchshof along with Imligau was bought by the city on 12 April 1678 from Julius Albrecht Liebsteinsky, Count of Kolowrat.

The estate Grünlas was purchased by the city on 19 December 1692 from Anton, Count of Nostitz (see Unter-Chodau).

On 22 May 1719 the city bought from a Count Nostitz the estate and village of Littmitz, to which also belonged the villages of Albernhof, Wintersgrün, Granesau, Doglasgrün (half of it), Roßmeißl, Kürberg, Sponsel, Griesbach, Dotterwies, Schwarzbach, Köstldorf, and Kosel [should be Kofel]. This estate is said to have been purchased by the city from Wolf Vitzthumb of Neu-Schönbach already in 1592, as well as the estate Grünlas from the Reißengrün family, but had lost both possessions in the 17th century (probably after the battle of the White Mountain) through confiscation. The same may also have been the case with the villages Dotterwies, Schwarzbach, Griesbach and Wintersgrün, which had been bought from King Rudolph II in 1598, and which returned to the city in 1719 as parts of the Littmitz estate with which they seem to have been combined in the intervening time.

The last purchase was the estate Unter-Chodau, which was bought in 1744 from Lady Anna Barbara Neßlinger von Schelchengraben born von Plankenheim. It had earlier belonged, along with Grünlas and Granesau, to the city, but was confiscated after the battle of the White Mountain and was sold in 1623 to Johann Wenzel Winkheler.

All these possessions were once loans from the city (so called "stone loans"), and the loans were serviced according to the constitution by the castle count of Elbogen. Only Emperor Ferdinand III abolished the loan system and had them registered as free Allodial estates in the royal land records.

The individual villages are:

(1) Nallesgrün, Nalesgrün, 3/4 hours S of Elbogen, village with 52 houses with 334 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dekanalkirche, has 1 school.

(2) Dreihäuser, 1 hour S of Elbogen, village of 19 houses with 116 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dekanalkirche. Not far from there in the imperial forest are the ruins of the former church of St. Nikolaus.

(3) Höfen, 1/2 hour SW of Elbogen, village with 28 houses with 145 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dekanalkirche, has 1 school.

(4) Zech, according to Schaller also Zechengrund, 1/2 hour SE of Elbogen, village with 52 houses with 334 inhabitants, in the parish of the deaconal church, has 1 school.

(5) Grünlas, 3/4 hours N of Elbogen, along Grünlas Creek and along the Karlsbad Road, village with 37 houses with 204 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dekanalkirche, has 1 government dairy, 1 school, and 1 inn. Also contains some coal mines.

(6) Neusattel, 3/4 hours NW of Elbogen, village with 77 houses with 516 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dekanalkirche, has 1 school. Apart are (a) the government sheep farm, 1/8 hours; and (b) the government dairy Vogleis (Vogeleys), 3/4 hours.

(7) Horn, 1 hour NNE of Elbogen on the slope of the Kamen mountain, village with 30 houses with 241 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dekanalkirche, has 1 school and 1 inn; 1/4 hours apart is the hamlet Schmalnhof (Schmalenhof), 4 numbers, whereof one government dairy incl. sheep farm.

(8) Unter-Chodau (also spelled Kodau, Bohemian: Chudow), 1 1/2 hours N of Elbogen, along Chodau Creek and the road to Heinrichsgrün, village with 99 houses with 699 inhabitants of which 1 house belongs to the estate Ober-Chodau. Within the Elbogen portion are 1 Protestant family and 5 Jewish families. 1 parish church, St. Laurenz, 1 rectory, 1 school, all under the patronage of the city council. 1 government dairy farm (land only, no utility buildings), 2 inns, 1 stoneware factory, 1 china factory and 1 mill. -- The church already existed in 1384 as a parish church and was founded by the knight Johann Wilhelm von Plankenheim. In 1725 it was rebuilt by the then landowners Franz Flamin and Johann, Lord of Plankenheim. Currently, 2 priests are employed, and the parish includes besides Chodau the villages (of the Elbogen dominion) Münchhof, Hunischgrün, Granesau, Wintersgrün, and Neuhäuser, as well as the villages (belonging to the Ober-Chodau estate) Ober-Chodau, Stelzengrün, Braunsdorf, and Pechgrün. The painting of the high altar, representing St. Laurenz, is by Brandel. The church also contains the gravestones of the Lords of Plankenheim.

(9) Münchhof, Münichshof, 1 1/4 hours N of Elbogen along Chodau Creek, village with 48 houses with 246 inhabitants, in the parish of Chodau, has 1 branch school which is served by an aide, 1 government dairy farm (without utility buildings), 1 alum and 1 sulfate factory, and 1 mill.

(10) Hunischgrün, also Hanschgrün, Hanuschgrün, 1 1/4 hours N of Elbogen, village with 22 houses with 147 inhabitants, in the parish of Chodau. Here are coal mines; 1/8 hour apart is the hamlet Kaltenhof with 4 numbers (1 Wasenmeisterei [knacker's shop -- place to dispose of animal carcasses] and 3 Chalupen [?]).

(11) Granesau, 1 1/4 hours NNW of Elbogen, along an insignificant creek, village with 29 houses with 163 inhabitants, in the parish of Chodau. Here are coal mines.

(12) Wintersgrün, 1 3/4 hours NW of Elbogen, along an insignificant creek, village with 44 houses with 238 inhabitants, in the parish of Chodau, has 1 branch school served by an aide. Apart along the road from Karlsbad to Littmitz etc. is the hamlet Berghaus, 4 numbers whereof 1 inn.

(13) Neuhäuser, 2 1/4 hours N of Elbogen, along a small creek, village with 14 houses with 84 inhabitants of which 1 house belongs to the Ober-Chodau estate, in the parish of Chodau.

(14) Dotterwies, 2 3/4 hours NNW of Elbogen, along Zinisch Creek and the road to Neudek, village with 48 houses with 326 inhabitants, has 1 parish church, St. Erhard B., 1 rectory, 1 school, all under the patronage of the city council, 1 inn, and 1 mill. -- The church appears to have existed early and was enlarged 1555 when it was served by Protestant ministers. Starting in 1670 it was organized as a branch of the Heinrichsgrün parish; in 1782 it received a Lokalist [resident clergyman?], 1783 a parish administrator, and in 1791 again its own pastor. Included in the parish are the villages Griesbach, Kösteldorf, Kofel, Schwarzenbach, and Sponsel (all in the Elbogen dominion), as well as Doglasgrün (of the Ober-Chodau estate). Outside the village are (a) the so-called Krausen Chapel, actually St. Quirin, which was founded in 1801 by the local farm woman Anna Rosina Kraus; and (b) the so-called Hammergut which only consists of the foundations of a former iron mill. From the nearby Gfeller Mountain one has a nice view over the entire Eger valley from Karlsberg to the Fichtel Mountains.

(15) Griesbach, 2 1/2 hours NNW of Elbogen, village with 16 houses with 103 inhabitants, in the parish of Dotterwies, has in the village a small chapel. Separate are (a) the Zehrer Inn on the Zehrer Mountain, along the road to Graslitz; and (b) the Chapel of the Last Supper, also named the Griesbach Chapel.

(16) Kösteldorf, Köstldorf, in Schaller: Kesteldorf, 2 3/4 hours N of Elbogen, along a small creek, between forests, village with 26 houses with 201 inhabitants, in the parish of Dotterwies; has 1 government forestry. A portion of the village is called Packhäuser (actually, Pachthäuser [rented houses]) and consists of emphyt. Dom. [?] houses.

(17) Kofel, Kofl, in Schaller: Koffel, in old registers: Kobelenz, 3 hours N of Elbogen, between forests, village with 34 houses with 297 inhabitants, in the parish of Dotterwies, has since 1828 1 school under the patronage of the community, attended also by the children from Kösteldorf and Schwarzbach.

(18) Schwarzbach, Schwarzenbach, 3 hours NNW of Elbogen, along the road to Neudek and a small creek, village of 30 houses with 266 inhabitants, in the parish of Dotterwies.

(19) Sponsel, Sponsl, in Schaller: Sponseyl, 3 1/4 hours NNW of Elbogen, along Zinisch Creek and the road to Graslitz, village of 12 houses with 77 inhabitants, in the parish of Dotterwies; has separately 1 mill ("Eckelmühle").

The following villages belong to parishes outside the Elbogen dominion:

(20) Aldernhof, 1 3/4 hours NW of Elbogen, along a small creek, village of 20 houses with 137 inhabitants, in the parish of Falkenau (Falkenau dominion).

(21) Littmitz, Litmitz, 2 hours NW of Elbogen, along Littmitz Creek, village of 72 houses with 445 inhabitants, in the parish of Falkenau, has 1 school which is served by an aide, 1 government-owned (rented) brewery (13 barrels), 1 mill with a board saw, 1 inn, and one large mineral mine.

(22) Imligau, Imlikau, in Schaller: Imblikau, 1 3/4 hours NNE of Elbogen, along Imligau Creek, village of 24 houses with 115 inhabitants, in the parish of Neu-Rohlau (Falkenau dominion), has 1 government dairy farm and 1 school, with a teacher employed by the community.

(23) Poschetzau (actually, Unter-Poschetzau), 2 hours N of Elbogen, along Imligau Creek, village of 53 houses with 174 inhabitants, in the parish of Neu-Rohlau (Falkenau dominion); has 1 school with a teacher employed by the community.

(24) Janessen, Janesen, 1 1/4 hours NNE of Elbogen, along the road to Karlsbad, village of 58 houses with 344 inhabitants, in the parish of Zettlitz (Tüppelsgrün dominion); 1/4 hour apart along Chodau Creek is the hamlet Haslpeint or Haselbeinth, 7 numbers of which 1 mill.

(25) Putschirn, 1 1/2 hours NNE of Elbogen, village of 30 houses with 173 inhabitants, in the parish of Zettlitz; separate along Chodau Creek is 1 mill with a board saw ("Spitzmühle"). Here are coal mines.

(26) Taschwitz, 2 3/4 hours NNE of Elbogen, on the left bank of the Eger, village of 12 houses with 77 inhabitants, in the parish of Zettlitz.

(27) Kürberg, Kührberg, Kirberg, in Schaller also Kirchberg, 3 1/4 hours NW of Elbogen, along the road to Heinrichsgrün and along Lochmühl Creek, village of 63 houses with 440 inhabitants, in the parish of Heinrichsgrün (dominion of same name); has 1/2 hour apart 1 mill with board saw ("Lochmühle").

Furthermore, the following properties of the Elbogen dominion are located in outside villages:

(28) in Ziegelhütte (Petschau dominion) 3 houses;

(29) in Doglasgrün (Ober-Chodau estate) 17 houses, including 1 inn and 1 mill;

(30) in Pechgrün (ditto) 2 houses;

(31) in Roßmeisl (Falkenau dominion) 10 houses; and

(32) in Wöhr (Schönlind estate) 3 houses (the Peintmühlen, along Kneipel Creek).

Footnotes

1. This is the usual spelling. More correct is Ellbogen (Ellenbogen). The name Stein-Ellbogen used by Schaller (Topography of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Part 2, Ellbogner District, Prag 1785, p.4) was originally the name of the castle. As is known, there was in the former German Empire a County Katzen- (Katten- or Hessen-) Ellenbogen and a rock castle of that name (now belonging to the Duchy of Nassau), from which one probably wished to distinguish the Bohemian Ellenbogen by the use of the qualifier Stein.
2. See the journal Hesperus, by Chr. K. André, volume 1812, no. 55. -- Chladni: On fiery meteors and the falling masses associated with them, Vienna, 1819, p. 327.

3. Dr. A. M. Glückselig: The Elbogen district of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Karlsbad and Elbogen, 1842, pp. 51 and following. Dlask: Attempt of a natural history of Bohemia, Prague, 1822, part 1, pp. 132 and following.

4. Schaller, pp. 7 and 8.

5. The seat of these margraves was the castle (ruins still visible) in the current market town of Vohburg, in the court city of Ingolstadt in the district of Upper Bavaria, Kingdom of Bavaria.

6. See history of the city of Eger, below. [pp. 316-317]

7. Annals of the Bohemian Museum, Vol. 2, no. 4 (1831), pp. 463 & 464.

8. Palacky: History of Bohemia, vol. 2, part 1, p. 133

9. Palacky, ibid. pp. 149-157.

10. Schaller, p. 9.

11. Palacky, ibid., vol. 2, part 2, p. 122.

12. P. 13.

13. Palacky, ibid., vol. 2, part 2, p. 205. -- The questions and answers of the magistrate mention privileges which were granted to the city by Karl IV, but do not say what these were.

14. See below for Eger, Joachimsthal etc.

15. Schaller, pp.16 & 17. -- Count Sternberg: Outline of a History of the Bohemian Mines, vol. 1, part 1, pp. 320 and following.

16. Schaller, p. 17, says erroneously: "against Raudnitz and Winternitz." Probably, Raudnitz is a typographic error because on p. 127 in the section about the Saaz district he mentions correctly the trade of Radonitz.

17. Schaller, p. 17; Count Sternberg, ibid., p. 348.

18. Schaller, p. 18.

19. Lenhart: Memorabilia of Karlsbad, p. 68.