88km (55 miles) S of Prague, 59km (37 miles) N of Ceské Budejovice
The center of the Hussite movement following religious leader Jan Hus's execution in Prague, Tábor was officially founded in 1420 and named by the Hussites after the biblical Mount Tábor. Forsaking their property, the Hussites came here to receive Christ on his return to earth. The group of soldiers leading Tábor, some 15,000 in all, felt that they had been commanded by God to break the power of the Catholics at that time.
Legendary warrior Jan Zizka led the Taborites, as this sect of Hussites was known. Time and time again, Zizka rallied his troops to defeat the papal forces, until he was struck down in battle in 1424. For 10 more years the Hussites battled on, but their loss at Lipany signaled the end of the uprising, and an agreement was reached with Emperor Sigmund of Luxembourg of the Holy Roman Empire. Later, the town submitted to the leadership of Bohemia's Jirí z Podebrad (George of Podebrad) and blossomed economically, creating the wealth needed to construct the Renaissance buildings now found in the historic Old Town.
