Svojanov

Svojanov
Market town
Svojanov as seen from the Svojanov Castle
Svojanov as seen from the Svojanov Castle
Flag of Svojanov
Flag
Coat of arms of Svojanov
Coat of arms
Svojanov is located in Czech Republic
Svojanov
Svojanov
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°37′29″N 16°24′37″E / 49.62472°N 16.41028°E / 49.62472; 16.41028
Country Czech Republic
RegionPardubice
DistrictSvitavy
First mentioned1287
Area
 • Total13.89 km2 (5.36 sq mi)
Elevation
460 m (1,510 ft)
Population
 (2023-01-01)[1]
 • Total360
 • Density26/km2 (67/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes
569 73, 569 92
Websitemestyssvojanov.cz

Svojanov is a market town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Dolní Lhota, Hutě, Předměstí, Starý Svojanov and Studenec are administrative parts of Svojanov.

Geography

Svojanov is located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Svitavy and 63 km (39 mi) southeast of Pardubice. It lies on the border between the Upper Svratka Highlands and Svitavy Uplands. The highest point is at 623 metres (2,044 ft) above sea level. The market town is situated in the valley of the Křetínka river.

History

The Svojanov Castle was built in 1224. During the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia, it was used for protection of the trade route from Bohemia to Moravia. The first written mention of the settlement below the castle called Svojanov is from 1287. It was then owned by Záviš of Falkenstein, who had the small fortress extended into a big Gothic castle. The village of Starý Svojanov ("Old Svojanov") was founded in the 13th century and supposedly is the oldest part of today's municipality.[2]

In 1421, Svojanov was besieged by Jan Žižka and between 1642 and 1645, the market town was occupied by the Swedish army. In December 1798, the Russian legions marched through Svojanov to fight against Napoleon.[2]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,626—    
18801,779+9.4%
18901,958+10.1%
19002,028+3.6%
19102,079+2.5%
YearPop.±%
19211,683−19.0%
19301,657−1.5%
1950998−39.8%
19611,011+1.3%
1970811−19.8%
YearPop.±%
1980611−24.7%
1991486−20.5%
2001412−15.2%
2011375−9.0%
2021376+0.3%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipal territory.

Sights

Svojanov Castle

Svojanov Castle is one of the oldest stone castles in the country. Since 1910, it has been owned by the town of Polička. The castle ruins and the Empire palace are open to the public and often are used for cultural purposes.[5]

An interesting sight is the Church of Saint Nicholas with a 13th-century chancel and fresco decoration which dates back to the period of Charles IV.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
  2. ^ a b c "Historie" (in Czech). Městys Svojanov. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  3. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Svitavy" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 15–16.
  4. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  5. ^ "Hrad Svojanov" (in Czech). Město Polička. Retrieved 2021-10-17.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Svojanov.