Volyně

Volyně
Town
Town square
Town square
Flag of Volyně
Flag
Coat of arms of Volyně
Coat of arms
Volyně is located in Czech Republic
Volyně
Volyně
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°9′57″N 13°53′10″E / 49.16583°N 13.88611°E / 49.16583; 13.88611
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Bohemian
DistrictStrakonice
First mentioned1271
Government
 • MayorMartin Červený
Area
 • Total20.58 km2 (7.95 sq mi)
Elevation
461 m (1,512 ft)
Population
 (2023-01-01)[1]
 • Total2,964
 • Density140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
387 01
Websitewww.volyne.eu

Volyně (German: Wolin) is a town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

Villages of Černětice, Račí, Starov and Zechovice are administrative parts of Volyně. Černětice and Račí form an exclave of the municipal territory.

Etymology

The origin of the name Volyně is unknown. There are hypotheses that it was derived from a Slavic tribe which came from the area of today's Ukraine.[2]

Geography

Volyně is located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Strakonice and 46 km (29 mi) northwest of České Budějovice. It lies in the Bohemian Forest Foothills. The highest point is a nameless hill at 769 metres (2,523 ft) above sea level. The Volyňka river flows through the town.

History

According to archaeological findings, a Slavic settlement was built on the site of today's town in the 7th century. The first written mention of Volyně is from 1271, when a gord was documented here. In 1299, the settlement was promoted to a town. In 1327, the parish church and town fortifications were completed. In the 15th century, the Volyně waged a long-standing and ultimately victorious dispute with the royal town of Písek over the import of salt and the payment of tolls. The town's prosperity peaked before the Thirty Years' War.[2]

During the war, Volyně suffered from looting, fires and passage of troops. After the war, despite several fires and plague epidemics, the town continued to grow and spread beyond the town walls. The face of the town changed significantly in the 19th century, when the square was paved and new multi-story buildings began to be built.[2]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18693,495—    
18803,738+7.0%
18903,757+0.5%
19004,018+6.9%
19104,131+2.8%
YearPop.±%
19213,993−3.3%
19303,930−1.6%
19503,349−14.8%
19613,144−6.1%
19702,970−5.5%
YearPop.±%
19803,162+6.5%
19913,251+2.8%
20013,194−1.8%
20112,981−6.7%
20213,006+0.8%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Education

The town is known as a local centre of education. Apart from preschool education and a primary/secondary school, there is Higher Vocational School and Secondary Industrial School. It was founded in 1864.[5]

Sights

Town hall

The historic town centre is formed by Svobody Square and adjacent streets. The main landmark of the square is the Renaissance town hall, built between 1521 and 1529. Other historical buildings include Gothic fortress from the 14th century, Church of All Saints from same period, Church of the Transfiguration, which was built between 1580 and 1618, and Jewish synagogue that dates from 1939. A Marian column located in the middle of the town square dates from 1760.[2][6]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Volyně is twinned with:[7]

References

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
  2. ^ a b c d "Historie" (in Czech). Město Volyně. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  3. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Strakonice" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 19–20.
  4. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  5. ^ "Historie školy" (in Czech). Vyšší odborná škola a Střední průmyslová škola Volyně. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  6. ^ "Basic City Info". Volyně.info. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  7. ^ "Partneři v zahraničí" (in Czech). Město Volyně. Retrieved 2020-08-24.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Volyně.