PLZEN

German Pilsen, city, capital of Zpadocesk kraj (region), Czech Republic. It lies in the fertile Plzen basin, where several tributaries gather to form the Berounka River. On a busy trade route between Prague and Bavaria, Plzen was first recorded in the 10th century, chartered in 1292, and fortified in 1295 by King Wenceslas II. It was a Roman Catholic stronghold in the 15th century during the Hussite Wars and withstood long sieges. The medieval town square forms the centre of Plzen and is dominated by St. Bartholomew's church, with its slender steeple (335 feet ), the highest in Bohemia; the Franciscan Church of the Virgin Mary; and the Renaissance town hall (1556) and burgher houses. The coalfields at nearby Nrany and local iron-ore deposits gave rise in the 19th century to Plzen's engineering industry, symbolized by the koda Works, which occupy most of the city's western sector. Severely damaged in World War II, the factories were rebuilt and restored to production. Best known for munitions, the koda Works also manufacture heavy machinery, military aircraft, railway locomotives, and cars. koda pioneered the development of electric-railway locomotives, with plastic body panels to reduce axle loadings. Since the Middle Ages, Plzen has been famous for its Pilsner beer; its Metansk pivovar (Citizen's Brewery) was built in 1842. Other manufactures include chemicals, pottery, hardware, and paper. The city is the transportation hub and the economic and cultural centre of western Bohemia. It is the site of the University of West Bohemia (1949; renamed 1991) and the West Bohemian Gallery and Museum. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 173,129.