Kožlany

Kožlany (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkoʒlanɪ]) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,500 inhabitants.

Kožlany
Town
Church of Saint Lawrence
Flag Coat of arms
Kožlany Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°59′35″N 13°32′10″E / 49.99306°N 13.53611°E / 49.99306; 13.53611
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Plzeň
District	Plzeň-North
First mentioned	1238
Government
• Mayor	Václav Kratochvíl
Area
• Total	29.10 km^2 (11.24 sq mi)
Elevation	442 m (1,450 ft)
Population  (2023-01-01)^[1]
• Total	1,543
• Density	53/km^2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	331 44
Website	www.kozlany.cz

Administrative parts

Villages of Buček, Dřevec, Hedčany and Hodyně are administrative parts of Kožlany.

Geography

Kožlany is located about 28 kilometres (17 mi) northeast of Plzeň. It lies in the Plasy Uplands. The highest point is at 481 m (1,578 ft) above sea level. The Javornice stream flows along the northern municipal border.

History

Kožlany was probably founded during the reign of King Ottokar I between 1200 and 1230. The first written mention of Kožlany is from 1238, when King Wenceslaus I took the settlement from the monastery in Plasy and gave the monastery the village of Žihle. In 1351, it was promoted to a town by King Charles IV. King George of Poděbrady donated Kožlany to Jošt of Gusidle, and since then the town has been owned by various lesser nobles.^[2]

The development of Kožlany was stopped by the Thirty Years' War. Even in the following decades, the town was plagued by troop movements, crop failures and high taxes. The town was then damaged by fires in 1768, 1773 and 1789.^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,472 —     1880 2,449 −0.9% 1890 2,588 +5.7% 1900 2,592 +0.2% 1910 2,269 −12.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,230 −1.7% 1930 2,013 −9.7% 1950 1,411 −29.9% 1961 1,400 −0.8% 1970 1,246 −11.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,392 +11.7% 1991 1,416 +1.7% 2001 1,406 −0.7% 2011 1,463 +4.1% 2021 1,461 −0.1%
Source: Censuses^[3]^[4]

Sights

 

Town hall

The most important monument is the Church of Saint Lawrence. Originally a medieval church from the end of the 13th century, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1769, after it was damaged by a fire.^[5]

The town hall dates from the 18th century. Originally a Baroque house, it has an Art Nouveau façade from 1911.^[6]

There is Jewish cemetery in the town, established between 1680 and 1700. In the cemetery are preserved gravestones from the 17th and 18th centuries.^[7]

The former school houses the town museum. The museum includes an exposition on life of Edvard Beneš, who is the most famous native. The museum was founded in 1946.^[8] The birth house of Edvard Beneš is protected as a cultural monument.^[9]

Notable people

• Edvard Beneš (1884–1948), the second president of Czechoslovakia

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
2. "Historie" (in Czech). Město Kožlany. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
3. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Plzeň-sever" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 5–6.
4. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
5. "Kostel sv. Vavřince" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
6. "Radnice" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
7. "Židovský hřbitov" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
8. "Městské muzeum Kožlany" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
9. "Městský dům - rodný dům dr. Edvarda Beneše" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-15.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kožlany.

• Official website