Liberec

Liberec

Liberec, German Reichenberg, city, northwestern Czech Republic. It lies in the valley of the Lužická Nisa (German: Lausitzer Neisse) River amid the Giant (Krkonoše) Mountains. Founded in the 13th century and chartered in 1577, Liberec was inhabited mainly by Germans until their expulsion after World War II. Called the “Bohemian Manchester,” Liberec has been a textile centre since the 16th century, manufacturing chiefly broadcloth, rugs, tapestries, and cotton and silk fabrics. The city’s North Bohemian Museum has an outstanding collection of medieval Flemish tapestries. After 1945 there was Czech resettlement of the city and a revival of industry, including traditional textile and glass production. Pop. (2007 est.) 98,781.