9th–15th centuries Prachatice was founded with the beginning of trade on the Golden Trail, an important salt trade route beginning in
Passau,
Bavaria. Probably in the 9th or 10th century, a settlement was founded in the area of today's Staré Prachatice ("Old Prachatice") town part. In the second half of the 12th century, it was acquired by the
Vyšehrad Chapter. When the settlement ceased to suit its purpose, a new settlement was established near the old one at the end of the 13th century. In 1312, Prachatice was first referred to as a town. In 1323, King
John of Bohemia confirmed to the town of Prachatice the right to use the trade route to Passau and to collect customs duties there. Prachatice was fully completed in the 3rd quarter of the 14th century. During the
Hussite Wars in the 15th century, Prachatice was attacked twice, It was eventually conquered by the
Hussites, who killed most of the population. In 1436, after the end of the conflict, Prachatice was granted the status of royal town by King
Sigismund, and all its old privileges were confirmed. Only one year later, the town was offered as collateral to Jan Smil of Krems, but it fell under the control of the
Rosenberg family for a short period following Smil's execution in 1439 at
Český Krumlov.
Oldřich II of Rosenberg sold the town almost immediately after the execution, but it again became property of the family in 1501. In the second half of the 15th century, the number of inhabitants increased, and new houses had to be built.
16th–20th centuries In the 16th century, trade on the trail reached its peak and the town prospered. The Rosenbergs controlled Prachatice until 1601 when
Peter Vok of Rosenberg, the last member of the family, sold the town to Emperor
Rudolf II who would again make it a royal town in 1609. It remained firmly under royal control until the
Bohemian Revolt during which it sided with the rebels. However, in 1620, the town was reconquered and connected to the
Český Krumlov estate. After the
Battle of White Mountain, Prachatice lost its royal town status and privileges and became the property of the
Eggenberg family though the emperor's troops remained in the town throughout the remainder of the
Thirty Years' War. Later in the war, the town was conquered by the
Swedish army, and another large ransom was demanded. In the second half of the 17th century, trade on the Golden Trail declined and never revived. The town and the whole Český Krumlov estate changed hands again in 1719, following the death of Princess Marie Arnoštka of Eggenberg and came under the control of the affluent
Schwarzenberg family. The weak political and economic situation affected the condition of the houses. Old ones were not reconstructed, and new ones were not built. Until 1918, the town was part of
Austria-Hungary, in the district of the same name, one of the 94
Bezirkshauptmannschaften in
Bohemia. After 1945, the
German population was expelled as a result of World War II. ==Demographics==