Editing Plzeň (section)

===Middle Ages===
The first written mention of Plzeň Castle is from 976. The city of New Plzeň was founded nearby in 1295 by King [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia|Wenceslaus II]]. The old settlement then became known as [[Starý Plzenec]] and New Plzeň became known as Plzeň. It quickly became an important city on trade routes leading from [[Bohemia]] to [[Nuremberg]] and [[Regensburg]]. The first written mention about beer brewing is from 1307. In the 14th century, the city had about 3,000 inhabitants on an area of {{cvt|20|ha}}, making it the third largest city in Bohemia after Prague and [[Kutná Hora]].<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=Po stopách historie města|url=https://plzen.eu/o-meste/historie/po-stopach-historie/|publisher=City of Plzeň|language=cs|access-date=2024-09-25}}</ref>

During the [[Hussite Wars]], it was the centre of Catholic resistance to the [[Hussites]]: [[Prokop the Great]] unsuccessfully [[Siege of Pilsen (1433-1434)|besieged]] it three times, and it joined the league of Catholic nobles against King [[George of Poděbrady]]. In the 1470s and 1480s, the city had the first [[printing press]] in Bohemia. The first book printed here and therefore the oldest book in Bohemia is ''Statuta'' written by [[Arnošt of Pardubice]], which was printed in 1476.<ref name=history/>