Rejštejn

Rejštejn (German: Reichenstein) is a town in Klatovy District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. It belongs to the least populous towns in the country.

Rejštejn
Town
View of Rejštejn
Coat of arms
Rejštejn Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°8′7″N 13°30′43″E / 49.13528°N 13.51194°E / 49.13528; 13.51194
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Plzeň
District	Klatovy
First mentioned	1337
Government
• Mayor	Horst Hasenöhrl Jr.
Area
• Total	30.44 km^2 (11.75 sq mi)
Elevation	568 m (1,864 ft)
Population  (2023-01-01)^[1]
• Total	253
• Density	8.3/km^2 (22/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	341 92
Website	www.sumavanet.cz/rejstejn/

Administrative parts

The villages of Jelenov, Klášterský Mlýn, Malý Kozí Hřbet, Radešov, Svojše, Velký Kozí Hřbet, Velký Radkov and Zhůří are administrative parts of Rejštejn.

Etymology

The original German name Reichenstein was created from am reichen Stein (meaning 'at the rich rock') and refers to the gold mining in the area. The Czech name was created by transliteration of the German one.^[2]

Geography

Rejštejn is located about 32 kilometres (20 mi) southeast of Klatovy and 66 km (41 mi) south of Plzeň. It lies mostly in the Bohemian Forest mountain range and in the Šumava National Park, only the northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Bohemian Forest Foothills. The highest point is the mountain Huťská hora at 1,187 m (3,894 ft) above sea level. The Otava River is formed by the confluence of the Vydra and Křemelná rivers, located at the western municipal border, and then flows through the town proper.

History

The first written mention of Rejštejn is from 1337. Originally, it was administratively considered part of Kašperské Hory. Thanks to gold mining in the area, the settlement grew. In 1584, Rejštejn was promoted by Emperor Rudolf II to a royal mining town and gained independence. In the 17th century, mining ended and the development of the town stopped.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,103 —     1880 2,226 +5.8% 1890 2,372 +6.6% 1900 2,253 −5.0% 1910 2,252 −0.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,201 −2.3% 1930 2,255 +2.5% 1950 977 −56.7% 1961 712 −27.1% 1970 530 −25.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 410 −22.6% 1991 305 −25.6% 2001 270 −11.5% 2011 236 −12.6% 2021 245 +3.8%
Source: Censuses^[4]^[5]

Transport

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

Sights

 

Church of Saint Bartholomew

The main landmark of Rejštejn is the Church of Saint Bartholomew. It is originally a late Gothic church from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th century.^[6]

A technical monument is the Čeňkova Pila hydroelectric power plant. It dates from 1912. Inside there is the original technical equipment and it is still in use today.^[7]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
2. Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). p. 712.
3. "Historie Rejštejna" (in Czech). Město Rejštejn. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Klatovy" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 25–26.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Kostel sv. Bartoloměje" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
7. "Vodní elektrárna Čeňkova Pila" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-08.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rejštejn.

• Official website