The town Cerhovice was established before the year 1275. According to historical evidence Cerhovice had a status of a market village. And belonged to the Sulistavs family from Trnovan. Almost till the end of the 14th century. A parish church of St Martin was built in these times. However, the church was later destroyed. Nowadays temple was established in the 15th century and was later rebuilt to a baroque style at the end of the 14th century. Cerhovice was passed over to Žebrák rule and later to the Tocník rule. King Vladislav II gave Cerhovice the privilege to use the status “town” on 24 February, 1516. Cerhovice got her own emblem – a golden shield, a deer in an upper part and a beard in a lower part. However, the emblem was not the only privilege, which Cerhovice was given, another important privilege was the right to produce beer. At these time, two breweries were established, one of which had already been destroyed. Cerhovice was prospering throughout the 16th century. After the death of King Vladislan II, his castles were halt. Among them was also Tocník. Cerhovice got under the rule of Jan from Lobkovice, who enclosed a treaty with Ferdinand II on 23 April 1557. Changes in emblem come most likely from there times. A Lobkovic coat of arms, upon which is a deer is placed between two towers. The golden shield is still kept. The Lobkovic rule in Cerhovice finished in 1595 when Bohuslav Havel from Lobkovice died. Ladislav from Lobkovice, one of deputies against the King, succeeded to run away from Bohemia, but his property was confiscated. So, once again, the King took the rule over Cerhovice.
A post office was established in Cerhovice at the beginning of the 17th century. During the thirty-year-war Cerhovice was plunged and destroyed several times. Cerhovice got another master from the King during the war. Another privilege shortened her corvée duties. The exhausted town was declining. A severe plaque epidemic hit Cerhovice in 1674 and four years later the town caught fire. Emperor Leopold I gave Cerhovice a new privilege on 8 May. This privilege allowed the purchase of salt and brandy and the right to judge the breach of the law at the Town hall. Cerhovice was not especially touched by Napoleon wars during the 18th century.

Trade men stopped passing through the town from 1862, since the railway connecting Prague and Pilsen was built. Cerhovice´s inns were loosing guests. Markets were declining. The 19th century was expected to change the situation. A luxurious hotel “Železné lázne”, with large bathrooms with water from local springs was established. And also Mayer’s brewery, a concurrence for the brewery from the 16th century. However, the badly prosperous hotel with spa bankrupted after the WWI. The old brewery played an important role in the revolt during the WWII. The owner of the brewery and former legionary Cenek Šillinger a there center of revolt with an illegal transmitter from 1940. The transmitter was used by František Peltán, a former co-operator of legendary “Three Kings” (Balabán, Mašín and Morávek). The organization was later destroyed by Gestapo. They attacked the brewery on 30 June 1942, but František Peltán managed to run away, however not for a long time. He died later in Prague. Cenek Šillinger killed one Gestapo member and hurt one, when he was trying to break into the brewery. Šillinger jumped through the window and ran away towards Drozdov. The Gestapo hurt him and he knew that there would be no escape. He shot himself before the Gestapo managed to get him. His wife Bohdana was killed by Gestapo later as well.


Document written by King Otakar II is the oldest and most significant document. It was published in Krivoklát on 19 December 1275 and it contains information about dividing possession between Bohuslav and Sulislav, the sons of dead Sulislav from Trnov. Not only that the parchment contains the first written information about Cerhovice, but he name Podbrdsko is mentioned here for the first time.